Families head for hills after early-morning phone calls

Hundreds of Gisborne residents woke early yesterday to phone calls from loved ones warning them to get to higher ground.

Many didn't need to be told twice - memories of the Boxing Day tsunami are still fresh in their minds.

Dressed in whatever they could find - often what they had worn to bed - families rushed to warn neighbours before piling into their cars with their pets.

On the way to higher ground they stopped at petrol stations and dairies for emergency supplies.

BP owner David Mullooly said both his stores in Kaiti and Gisborne were flooded with customers from the moment they opened.

At Kaiti there were 200 transactions in the first hour alone, at least a threefold increase on normal.

"We had quite a number of people coming in, in various manner of bedding attire buying fuel, provisions like bottled water and cigarettes."

Like many residents, Mr Mullooly and his family were woken about 5am by a concerned relative in London ringing to say a tsunami was coming.

"My first thought was, 'You're joking', then I made a beeline for the television and news."

By the time Mr Mullooly found out what was going on, television news was reporting that the tsunami warning had been lifted.

Not everyone got that message, though.

Inspector Barry Smalley, from the northern communications centre, said the centre received about 65 per cent more calls from the public than normal, most from people seeking advice.

Fire Service director of operations and training Paul McGill said staff were notified of the tsunami about 4.30am by a call from a journalist to the communications centre. The centre notified the national commanders group, who were put on standby awaiting official confirmation from Civil Defence.

Fire stations around the country were notified and volunteers paged.

Similar procedures occurred at the police and ambulance centres.

Gisborne Civil Defence officer Richard Steele said it was good that people took the initiative and evacuated themselves, although lessons could be learned.

"A lot of people I heard evacuated from areas that are never going to be inundated by tsunami, so people need to do a bit of research to see if they are in an at-risk area."

Mr Steele also said people should not panic and stop for unnecessary supplies.

"You don't have to go far, so why you have to fill up with petrol I'm not sure. The rule of thumb is 1km inland 35m above sea level."