Tsunami warning for new zealand

[Mustaine]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/tonga_earthquake

Tsunami Warning Issued for New Zealand By RAY LILLEY, Associated Press Writer
2 minutes ago

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A tsunami warning predicted a giant wave could hit Fiji and New Zealand within minutes.
 
A Tongan police officer in the capital, Nuku'alofa, said there were no immediate reports of damage or a tsunami.

The temblor, classified by the USGS as a "great" quake, struck 95 miles south of Neiafu, Tonga, and 1,340 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. It occurred 20 miles beneath the sea floor.

The U.S. National Weather Service warned that a tsunami could strike Fiji as soon as 1:13 p.m. EDT and New Zealand by 2:21 p.m. EDT.

The U.S. Pacific  Tsunami Warning Center issued the tsunami warning but said it was not known whether the quake generated a potentially deadly giant wave

probably nothing, but would be creepy to have another major tsunami

[Ripsnort]

They issued an advisory on our pacific coast. Nothing more than just an advisory though at this point.

[StarOfAfrica2]

Hawaii is under a watch as well.  They dont expect any sizeable waves, but warned of possibly stronger than normal currents and quickly changing water levels at coastal areas.  They'll probably empty the eastern side beaches during the afternoon to be safe.  Should reach us in about 5 hours.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
Hawaii is under a watch as well.  They dont expect any sizeable waves, but warned of possibly stronger than normal currents and quickly changing water levels at coastal areas.  They'll probably empty the eastern side beaches during the afternoon to be safe.  Should reach us in about 5 hours.

Wax 'em up!

[StarOfAfrica2]

Oh I'm sure the nutbags are already calling in sick to work and heading for the beach just in case.

[CMC Airboss]

My prediction:  The lack of a Tsunami will be the biggest non-news story of the year.  By the end of the day, at least one major news outlet will link the Tsunami to global warming - even though it didn't occur to any measurable effect.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by CMC Airboss
My prediction:  The lack of a Tsunami will be the biggest non-news story of the year.  By the end of the day, at least one major news outlet will link the Tsunami to global warming - even though it didn't occur to any measurable effect.

[Vulcan]

Funny thing is nobody here knew about the warning til the lack of the tsunami hit the news.

[Excel1]

Vulcan,
It just shows you how competent civil defense are. They can't be counted on, and they even admit that. It's another example of the bureaucratic paralysis and mediocrity that has been creeping into NZ in the last 20-25 years, but has significantly accelerated under comrade helen and her cronies.

Excel

[Vulcan]

Originally posted by Excel1
Vulcan,
It just shows you how competent civil defense are. They can't be counted on, and they even admit that. It's another example of the bureaucratic paralysis and mediocrity that has been creeping into NZ in the last 20-25 years, but has significantly accelerated under comrade helen and her cronies.

Excel

Actually it shows how competent they were. There was no danger of a tsunami, 10 minutes after the earthquake alert the tsunami detection stuff in the pacific showed there was absolutely no threat. So our Civil Defence issued no warnings.

However International media released the bogus warning, it was picked up by people with satellite, or relatives who phoned friends in NZ. This created a minor panic in a couple of towns.

Sucks to be you doesn't it?

[Excel1]

Originally posted by Vulcan
Actually it shows how competent they were. There was no danger of a tsunami, 10 minutes after the earthquake alert the tsunami detection stuff in the pacific showed there was absolutely no threat. So our Civil Defence issued no warnings.

However International media released the bogus warning, it was picked up by people with satellite, or relatives who phoned friends in NZ. This created a minor panic in a couple of towns.

Sucks to be you doesn't it?

Yeah, civil defence are real competent. They'll be just as effective in a real disaster too, but you'll have no worries when the big one hits Wellington as long as you keep your rose tinted glasses on and your head firmly up the arse of the sheep in front of you.
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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10380377

...Civil Defence hit with tidal wave of criticism
 
05.05.06
By Elizabeth Binning

 
The Government has ordered a review of Civil Defence operations after the handling of yesterday's tsunami warning, which saw thousands flee their homes in panic.

Civil Defence Minister Rick Barker called for the review last night, saying the flow of information needed to improve. He wants media and other agencies informed of what's happening within half an hour of Civil Defence headquarters being told about an incident.

"The ministry will be looking carefully at the dissemination of information to the media and all our Civil Defence partners," he said. "We will also be looking at better ways of telling New Zealanders and the New Zealand media that there is no emergency when warnings and alerts have been withdrawn or downgraded."

The shakeup follows criticisms about the lack of information from Civil Defence after an international tsunami warning yesterday morning.
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Excel

[Sikboy]

http://www.nobilo.co.nz/index.asp?is_of_legal_age=true

SAVE THE GRAPES!!!!!

-Sik

[Vulcan]

Errm excel, do you not speakee engrish?

There was no warning issued to the public. Listening bouys detected no tsunami activity 10 mins after the quake so Civil Defence issued no warnings. What they're getting hassled for is not lifting the warning (that they never issued in the first place) earlier... and people who believed FALSE media stories ran for the hills - then blamed CD for their stupid panic.

[Excel1]

Originally posted by Sikboy
http://www.nobilo.co.nz/index.asp?is_of_legal_age=true

SAVE THE GRAPES!!!!!

-Sik

Why?

I've never met a grape worth saving, and I only drink that cheap French plonk.

Excel

[Excel1]

Vulcan, I speak English fine but my dog has trouble with Swahili.

Your sounding like a pr rep doing damage control for cvil defence. CD get at least several tsunami warnings a year, and the reason that they don’t issue  those warnings  locally is because they usually get confirmation within minutes  that the original warning is a false alarm. No problem with that, there’s no urgency or need for the population to know about a tsunami that doesn’t exist. But this time the foreign media who weren’t aware that the warning had been cancelled  broadcast that a tsunami was heading for NZ… that was an unfortunate mistake, but still not a big problem, because once those erroneous reports were picked up in NZ civil defence would shurly set things straight and defuse a panic situation when the local media/ police/ joe public contacted them for the status of the foreign reported tsunami.

But a big problem: CIVIL DEFENCE DON’T  ANSWER THEIR TELEPHONE

For two hours civil defence were oblivious to the growing panic because one over paid bureaucrat at civil defence hq couldn’t be bothered to drag his arse out of bed to answer the phone and put paid to the rumour. Their incompetence was exposed by the foreign reports of a tsunami, and it’s not the first time. Late last year civil defence held a disaster coordination exercise with emergency services in Auckland. The report on the exercise was released two weeks ago, they flunked big time. The report was scathing on their performance. During the exercise they were so disorganized  civil defence staff spent much  their time introducing themselves to each other and swapping cell phone numbers. There is a strong inference in the report  that in a real  disaster the emergency services, rather than being ‘coordinated’ by civil defence , would only be hindered by them. In other words, they couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery.

Excel