Civil Defence warnings for tsunami conditions on Northland’s coast have been lifted.
The National Emergency Management Agency said strong and unusual currents will continue for the next 20-48 hours.
The west coast from Cape Rēinga to Ahipara, and east coast from Cape Rēinga to Wellington were under an advisory yesterday.
Significant tidal surges were recorded in coastal areas across Northland, including at Houhora in the Far North and Tutukākā near Whangārei.
People were warned to continue heeding Civil Defence warnings after the 8.8-magnitude quake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Civil Defence issued a slew of warnings since, including at 6.30am on Thursday.
Tutukākā Marina assistant Roger Stephenson said it had staff on deck overnight on Wednesday, checking conditions.
The water was still slightly unsettled on Thursday, with the surface showing a churning motion in some spots.
“The worst of it was about 3am and nothing like we had previously,” he said.
Given the surge that caused almost $6 million in damage in 2022, he said people had an “elevated awareness”.
“Everyone was super-cautious [overnight] and prepared to move if they had to.”
A few people living on boats stayed with friends or family overnight, and there were options for people without anywhere else to go.
He said it had been “fairly quiet” on Thursday and Wednesday evening.
“I don’t think the pizzeria had a very good night,” he joked.
Signs at the marina would have been taken down Thursday morning had it not received further Civil Defence warnings.
A resident on her morning walk said it was quieter than usual at the marina, with just a few residents out and about.
“It’s definitely not as busy as it might normally be here.”
She was concerned when the warnings first came through, but after seeing the minimal damage in Hawaii, she assumed it wouldn’t be as bad as she feared.
She felt residents were probably more wary of tsunami risks since the damage at the marina in 2022.
Northport was also on alert overnight on Wednesday, suspending ship movements and using extra lines to secure vessels.
It recorded an extended period of small waves and strong currents early this morning.
Northland Deputy Harbourmaster Pete Thomas said that, about midnight, Tutukākā Marina had currents of up to five knots “surging around” the harbour.
The timing was true to the estimates from Civil Defence, which earlier suggested the first activity could hit North Cape near Cape Rēinga about midnight.
About 8am on Thursday, he received a call from Houhora in the Far North to say that it had experienced “some significant tidal surging”.
Such surges were unpredictable, and people in boats or near the coastline should take the warnings seriously, he said.
He had not spoken to anyone living on boats about how they were feeling, but he described them as a “fairly resilient bunch”.
However, he pointed out that some people living on the water did not have any onshore accommodation to go to.
He felt it would be good to have alternative options for people to go if they were being told to move off the water by Civil Defence.
Civil Defence said no damaging impacts had been reported overnight.
“(But) surges and tsunami activity have been observed in parts of the region, and strong, unusual currents and unpredictable coastal surges are expected to continue throughout the day.”
“These currents can be dangerous and unpredictable, posing risks to swimmers, surfers, fishers, and anyone near the water. The first surges are not always the largest, and activity may persist for several hours.”
Civil Defence said it was maintaining close contact with coastal community groups and marina staff to ensure they had the latest information.
National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) director John Price told Herald NOW’s Ryan Bridge on Thursday that there was still a threat to people in coastal areas.
Surges had been seen, which were unpredictable.
“This is not just one wave, it’s multiple volumes of water that will arrive for a period of time.”
He warned people not to be complacent.
“We know complacency puts people at risk and may kill people.”
Those wanting to view the conditions can access live reports and cameras on the Surfline website.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.