Police prosecutor Sergeant John Ashfield said the messages started flowing about 6pm on October 12 and continued until early in the morning. Several police units from Napier and Hastings were assigned to look for the young woman, particularly around Clive.
Staff were unable to carry-out other important duties on a night where several other violent incidents were unfolding, the police summary said.
It was not the first incident involving cellphones which had tied up resources in recent months.
In June police and firefighters were left angry and frustrated by attending to three calls in Napier, identified as coming from a cellphone, where the caller had reported a house fire.
Two of the incidents were in Marewa and one on Napier Hill.
"It is very concerning because there could be someone in genuine need while we are all tied up dealing with a false call," Senior Sergeant Eion Evans said at the time.
Commenting on yesterday's case, Hastings Youth Services Co-ordinator, Sergeant Ross Stewart, said texting and social media was often used as a "weapon" in the cases of juvenile offending.
"It's easy and anonymous to send a text by the fact you don't have to physically confront the person you're sending it to," Mr Stewart told Hawke's Bay Today.
"It's easy to do as opposed to fronting up to someone.
"Young people can be very impulsive and when it's as easy as pushing a button then that's the danger as they often don't think of the consequences," he said.
"And of course when you send a text from your phone you've left your footprint behind."
