Footage shows tsunami waves hitting New Zealand. Video / Claudia Maaka / Waiapu Civil Defence / Gina Pewhairangi / Dean Purcell
When a tsunami warning threat comes through on your phone telling you to evacuate, most people would be concerned about their own personal evacuation plan.
Ōpōtiki mayor Lyn Riesterer had a little more on her plate - how to evacuate a community of nearly 10,000 people to safety.
What's even more remarkable - the town was evacuated in about 45 minutes.
On Friday at 2.27am the Bay of Plenty seaside town was shaken awake by a strong 7.1 earthquake off the East coast of the North Island.
Not many residents went back to sleep; some decided to head for the hills. By 5am, the majority of those who initially evacuated headed back home.
"All of a sudden all of our phones went off before 9am. It was the first of our alerts.
Ōpōtiki mayor Lyn Riesterer had to help evacuate a community of nearly 10,000 people to safety following Friday's tsunami alert warning. Photo / Supplied
"'This is for real, let's go' I said. Council staff packed up and left. Civil Defence managers moved to the high grounds of Ōpōtiki golf course.
"Once everyone realised there was another big earthquake in the Kermadecs we knew the significance of that and the tsunami warning was a legitimate warning that everyone listened to.
"There was concern for a lot of our lower-lying settlements in the district. Almost every one of them is by the sea."
By this time, the majority of the town swung into action and were headed for one of only a few high vantage points in the area, either south up the hill, or west up into the ridges of the town.
While residents were safe, the mayor says the threat was very real, revealing there were small wave surges that hit the district's beaches.
"There wasn't the large wave that came in a Tokomaru Bay but there were surges and stuff coming up our rivers. Thankfully nothing really big.
"As mayor, you get the emails of estimated wave heights. I thought we would be able to cope with 1m, but we probably couldn't cope with 3m. Evacuating was the smart and only move."
So how do you get close to 10,000 people to safety in under an hour?
Residents were evacuated within an hour. Photo / NZME
Riesterer says the brilliant response of Ōpōtiki's residents is the reason behind the successful mass evacuation, as well as the swift reaction from schools, officials, businesses and care facilities.
"Once we got the alerts, everybody started messaging friends and whānau to alert the ones who didn't have a smartphone.
"We had neighbours knocking on doors, everybody moving to their planned piece of higher ground.
"We had people on higher ground opening their homes to others.
"Everything almost fell into place. Volunteers took people out to different maraes further south, schools moved out, early childhood places picked up everybody.
Ōpōtiki mayor Lyn Riesterer. Photo / NZME
"Everyone stuck to their evacuation plans.
"The police went around and did a sweep telling the remaining residents to move. Ninety-nine per cent of people did what they were supposed to do and were evacuated in less than an hour.
"Last year's evacuation walkthrough with schools played helped. Civil Defence managers know how far away people need to be back to be safe. Having all of that knowledge in place is vital."
Residents didn't go hungry, despite being evacuated for more than five hours.
Local maraes were feeding evacuees while others at higher ground were dishing out food and water for patient residents.
After a wait of more than five hours, it was over and the community returned to normal life.
The community's response to the tsunami threat has left the mayor glowing with pride and appreciation.
"When people are in difficult situations everyone rallies around and helps. That was evident yesterday.
"Maraes were entertaining our children, keeping them calm and safe.
"I'm very proud and everyone feels the same. The comments afterwards down at the supermarket were 'didn't we do well?' and 'isn't it neat how everyone looked after one another?'.
"As a community, we've done incredibly well. We need to dwell on the positives. They are the things that will set us in good stead for the next time this happens."
Home of Ōpōtiki principal burgled during tsunami alert
- RNZ
An Ōpōtiki teacher said their principal had her home burgled while they were out helping their students evacuate during the tsunami alerts.
About 150 children at St Joseph's Catholic School had to be relocated yesterday morning.
The school is less than a kilometre away from the shoreline, and also surrounded on three sides by rivers.
Val Hata, a teacher at the school, said they got the warning of the 8.1-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami risk just as people were arriving at school.
"Very quickly, teachers just gathered together and made the decision to evacuate," she said.
"We phoned the buses, gathered the children, and within 10 to 15 minutes the children were on the buses and heading out of town to our designated evacuation place."
During their time sheltering out of harm's way, Hata said the children were comfortable, safe and well-fed by Ōpōtiki College, which delivered food straight to them.
On their way back into town after the all-clear was given, Hata said their principal, Raewyn Clark, popped by her house.
"The principal just dropped into her house on the way back to school, and found that people had broken in and made a terrible mess and stolen things.
"We're pretty gutted - she's a very community-minded principal, does a lot of good in this community, and to be treated like that, it's just horrendous.
"But she won't be the only one, and that's the terrible thing - in a time like that, that people would be so cruel."
Hata said she has gone to the police and is assessing the situation at home.
"She's lost stuff, and stuff's been stolen, and her house has been trashed. It's just awful."
