NationStates Jolt Archive

A tsunami warning has been issued for New Zealand and Fiji, and a tsunami watch for the Hawiian Islands. An underwater earthquake measuring between 7.1 and 8.0 on the Richter Scale has occurred near the mid-Pacific Island of Tonga, which has generated these tsunami warnings and watches.

A tsunami warning has been issued for New Zealand and Fiji, and a tsunami watch for the Hawiian Islands. An underwater earthquake measuring between 7.1 and 8.0 on the Richter Scale has occurred near the mid-Pacific Island of Tonga, which has generated these tsunami warnings and watches.

Fiji's fucked.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=nation_world&id=4138791

U.S. warns tsunami could hit Fiji, New Zealand

(Tonga -AP, May 2, 2006 ) - Just before 1:00 p.m. the U.S. National Weather Service warned that a tsunami could strike Fiji within 30 minutes and New Zealand within 90 minutes.
The warning came after a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

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

Fiji's fucked.
Perhaps. It's certainly close enough to get hit hard. The tsunami is scheduled to hit Fiji in about 30 minutes. :eek:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4970308.stm

Thats the latest the bbc website has. Slow bastards.

I hope people are heading to high ground, but its so early in the morning there I hope the message has been spread!!!

New Zealand is scheduled to get hit about 90 minutes from now. :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4970308.stm

Thats the latest the bbc website has. Slow bastards.

I hope people are heading to high ground, but its so early in the morning there I hope the message has been spread!!!
Me too! Don't we have a couple of Kiwis on here??? :eek:

Perhaps. It's certainly close enough to get hit hard. The tsunami is scheduled to hit Fiji in about 30 minutes. :eek:

I even mean without the earthquake. The country is rather low lying.

NZ should be fine. Auckland is on the wrong side (or right side given the circumstances). Wellington I think is protected by the curvature of the land.

My brother's soon-to-be wife is a Maori. She has family still there... Better give her a call actually.

I even mean without the earthquake. The country is rather low lying.

NZ should be fine. Auckland is on the wrong side (or right side given the circumstances). Wellington I think is protected by the curvature of the land.

My brother's soon-to-be wife is a Maori. She has family still there... Better give her a call actually.
Yes, do!

A tsunami often hits the "far side" of an island harder than it does the side closer to the point of origin. It's a function of wave dynamics: the tsunami waves bend around the island and converge on the far side, wreaking havoc.

Me too! Don't we have a couple of Kiwis on here??? :eek:

Yeah, Harlesburg for one.

And those citizens of the aforementioned countries relying solely on NS General for their meteorological news and disaster bulletins must be ever so thankful to you for supplying them with this information.

Reuters Link (http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=tnBusinessNews&storyID=nL03793116&imageid=&cap=)

Well, if Reuters is correct, it should be hitting Fiji in about a minute.

Same tectonic plate that caused the one in the Indian Ocean too right?

There's a tongan police officer on the news saying he hasn't seen a tsunami yet. But he's on the north of the island.

for the geographically inept (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=tonga&ll=-22.958393,-174.638672&spn=19.666667,39.243164&om=1)

http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eastern/plates.gif

So you know where the plates are.

8.1 is a lot smaller than the one in 2004, and Fiji is mostly high ground anyway. I doubt anything newsworthy is going to happen. Maybe some above average waves. The warning is probably a just in case sort of thing.

8.1 is a lot smaller than the one in 2004, and Fiji is mostly high ground anyway. I doubt anything newsworthy is going to happen. Maybe some above average waves. The warning is probably a just in case sort of thing.

Huh. Always thought Fiji was quite flat...

Must need a visit there to confim it... :p

Huh. Always thought Fiji was quite flat...

Must need a visit there to confim it... :p

nah, they're volcanic and therefore high islands. i'll go along to prove it to you though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Fiji

Huh. Always thought Fiji was quite flat...

Must need a visit there to confim it... :p
Ditto, if only because my only knowledge of the geography of Fiji and its propensity to flood comes from Red Dwarf in which Fiji is described as having cheap farmland because it is underwater.

I have seen holiday photos (not mine, alas), and Fiji is a range of very large hills sticking out of the water, many of them covered with a lot of dense vegetation. Unless you're on a beach, you are safe from anything.

Radio 5Live in the UK just had a report from the USGS in Hawaii.

They have downgraded the earthquake to 7.8 and have said the Tsunami will not be destructive, bar some possible damage to boats and houses directly on the seaside.

Heavy currents will be seen around Hawaii.

Radio 5Live in the UK just had a report from the USGS in Hawaii.

They have downgraded the earthquake to 7.8 and have said the Tsunami will not be destructive, bar some possible damage to boats and houses directly on the seaside.

Heavy currents will be seen around Hawaii.

I just saw that on bbc news too.

I have seen holiday photos (not mine, alas), and Fiji is a range of very large hills sticking out of the water, many of them covered with a lot of dense vegetation. Unless you're on a beach, you are safe from anything.

well, the towns (suva, for example) are largely on lower flatter lands

16km? That's fairly shallow. No tsunami it appears, well that's something.

Heavy currents will be seen around Hawaii.
*grabs board*I hate having to swim out.Froggy kooks look out for the rips.

My thoughts and prayers go to the affect region. Hopefully there isn't a tsunami. That'll be awful :(

They should have rebuilt on stilts after the last tsunami - so anyone want to take bets who'll have to foot the bill for digging these people out?

No bet - it'll be you & me, that's who. And what thanks can we expect? Zip. They'll probably bomb our embassies cause we didn't hand over the money quick enough...:mad:

They should have rebuilt on stilts after the last tsunami - so anyone want to take bets who'll have to foot the bill for digging these people out?

No bet - it'll be you & me, that's who. And what thanks can we expect? Zip. They'll probably bomb our embassies cause we didn't hand over the money quick enough...:mad:
Well, if it does the trick...

They should have rebuilt on stilts after the last tsunami - so anyone want to take bets who'll have to foot the bill for digging these people out?

No bet - it'll be you & me, that's who. And what thanks can we expect? Zip. They'll probably bomb our embassies cause we didn't hand over the money quick enough...:mad:

Yeah... those crazy... New Zealanders.. they're just bombing you left right and centre....

Well, if it does the trick...
Oh, ha ha ha. You're so clever...

Yeah... those crazy... New Zealanders.. they're just bombing you left right and centre....
It's not the New Zealanders I'm concerned about.

Oh, ha ha ha. You're so clever...
why, thank you. I concur. :)
(that means agree)

Yeah... those crazy... New Zealanders.. they're just bombing you left right and centre....
Almost as bad as all those Filjian suicide bombers you always see!

Almost as bad as all those Filjian suicide bombers you always see!
Them and their island paradise.

*shakes fist*

Freedom hating bastards.

And those citizens of the aforementioned countries relying solely on NS General for their meteorological news and disaster bulletins must be ever so thankful to you for supplying them with this information.
I am i was sleeping at the time and heard nothing of it for 12 hours, thank you Eutrusca.:)


Yeah, Harlesburg for one.
indeed.
It's not the New Zealanders I'm concerned about.Fijians are really lazy.

haha, I didn't hear anything about it until I came on here the evening after it happened. Apparently our civil defence team knew quite early that it was a nothing and went back to bed. Sadly the international media didn't catch on as quickly, and the civil defence people had all gone back to bed and didn't get around to telling everyone that it was ok..

I found this kind of hilliarous.

I heard there was going to be a tsunami like 3 hours drive away from me. Pretty scary shit. Anyway, I go back to sleep and kind of forget about it. Next time I hear about it, it's on the news with pictures of tiny little waves rolling onto the beach and a headline "What Tsunami?". Ahh dear.. Someone fucked up.