NZ residents warned to head for the hills
by Patti Pietschmann
The third major earthquake—a magnitude 8.0—struck 600 miles northeast of New Zealand today (March 4) causing fears of harmful tsunamis in America Samoa, the Cook Island, Fiji, Hawaii and the Pitcairn islands.According to news sources the waves could rise 10 feet or high and are also possible in the Kermae4c Islands and French Polynesia.
Warning to New Zealanders to head for the high land
A warning was issued to New Zealanders that says “people near coast from the BAY OF ISLANDS to WHANGAREI, from MATATA to TOLAGA BAY, and GREAT BARRIER ISLAND should walk, run or cycle IMMEDIATELY to nearest high ground, out of all Tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible.”
The first destructive tsunami waves could arrive around 9:49 a.m. Friday local time in areas around Lottin Point, the easternmost point on New Zealand’s northern island.
Tidal wave watch
A tsunami watch is in effect for Hawaii. First impacts could occur beginning at 4:35 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, leaving several hours to prepare. Tsunamis travel at roughly the pace of a passenger jet.
The National Tsunami Warning Center tweeted that it was assessing potential risk in places like California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska.
Triple tremors just eight hours apart cause worries
Three severe earthquakes happening within 300 miles of each other in less than eight hours is rare. Authorities say the first two earthquakes occurred far enough apart that they likely were not related. The second quake might have been a foreshock to the third, the stress it released triggering another larger slip nearby. A quake is a foreshock to a larger event less than 5 percent of the time.
A magnitude 8.0 quake releases about 30 times more energy than a magnitude 7.0 quake. The New Zealand tremor is the strongest one to strike worldwide since the May 26, 2019 magnitude 8.0 quake hit Peru.
Suffice it to say New Zealanders are pretty shook up and concerned about more after shocks and a major tsunami. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. But Mother Nature and the sea have their own agendas.
