Mangawhai wakes to tsunami threat

WORDS/PHOTOS/JULIA WADE

Mangawhai locals headed for higher ground, leaving the area deserted, as tsunami warning sirens echoed around empty streets. The Civil Defence emergency on the morning of March 5 followed a number of earthquakes about 1000km away in the Kermadec Islands, including one of 8.1 magnitude.

The alarm rang out just as businesses and shops were setting up for the day. Mangawhai Beach School students were arriving at their classes, causing parents to do a U-turn to collect their children from the sea-level school, teachers shepherding others up to the assembly point on Black Swamp Road

Crowds took refuge at several elevated locations around the area, including the scenic heights of Coal Hill and Lawrence Road as well as The Club car park, where apparently coffee vendor Cruz ‘n Co. did a roaring trade. The Club opened their doors to the community, providing drinking water, and people also enjoyed a kind donation of free apples while they waited out the emergency.

Local coastal waters became more intense through mid-morning, with continuous rolls of energised waves surging towards the Mangawhai coastline in rapidly moving sets. The undulations sparked by the earthquake eventually subsided in the early afternoon.

Wellsford and Mangawhai sergeant Rainer Coetz and constable Dale Wewege were patrolling the streets on the day, and say they were pleased with the community’s quick, calm response to the warning, as well as obeying the call to keep away from the coastline and the potential threat of dangerous waters.

Civil Defence officially ended the alert at 1.34pm.