New Zealand witnessed one of the most powerful quakes in its modern history; extreme caution advised in the region
The National Emergency Management Agency has announced that the tsunami evacuation orders have been lifted and that New Zealand residents can return home. The NEMA had earlier ordered tens of thousands of residents to flee to higher ground following a series of earthquakes and tsunami warnings.
However, residents have been warned to stay away from the beaches. “People must leave beach areas and stop all water activities,” said emergency services spokesman Alexandre Rosignol.
The earthquakes caused waves ranging from 3 to 10 feet in height and forced officials to issue tsunami warnings in various countries across the Pacific. The strongest quake occurred 620 miles northeast of New Zealand.
Three earthquakes were reported in the Pacific region over a period of 6 hours on Friday. The last earthquake recorded a magnitude of 8.1, one of the strongest earthquakes in the region in modern history.
Officials issued advisories for coastal areas after the first earthquake registered 7.3 magnitude.
“We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore,” New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency tweeted.
However, no widespread injuries or deaths have been reported so far in the region. Some structural damage and gridlock were reported as people fled their homes to higher ground.
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