‘Felt like a truck’: Earthquake near Te Anau sparks brief tsunami scare

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck an area 40km north of Te Anau at 9.14pm last night, Henry Oliver writes in today’s extract from the Bulletin.

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A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck an area 40 kilometers north of Te Anau at 9.14pm last night, prompting a tsunami warning and evacuation order for part of the South Island’s west coast before a full evacuation was declared. According to 1News’ James Ball, the quake, which was initially recorded as a magnitude of 6.3 before it was revised downward, was felt by nearly 20,000 people over a wide area, from Southland and Otago to Canterbury.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) issued an advisory and evacuation order for the coast from Milford Sound to Puyséjour Point, ordering residents and visitors to immediately move to higher ground. But, as the Herald reported, by 11.26pm, NEMA had canceled both the warning and evacuation order after no tsunami signals were detected by Earth Sciences NZ in the two hours following the event.

“This indicates that there is no ongoing tsunami activity affecting the area, and the threat has now passed,” the agency said. The warning was initially downgraded from a warning, with 1News noting that while coastal flooding was not expected, dangerous rip currents and unpredictable surges were still possible.

‘It felt like a truck’

Speaking to RNZ, Southland Mayor Rob Scott said he had heard reports of cracks and other damage to homes, and that people in Milford Sound had “done the right thing” by moving to higher ground.

New Zealand geoscientist Bill Fry said the quake would have generated strong tremors near the epicenter, and noted the area had seen significant seismic activity before, including a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Dusky Sound in 2009. He said monitoring remained tight for aftershocks with the potential to cause damage or trigger landslides. The newspaper indicated that several smaller aftershocks of light or weak intensity were recorded during the night.

Residents described a range of experiences, as the Herald reported: A Wanaka couple told RNZ the bed moved and “it felt like a truck was driving past the bedroom”; One Bannockburn resident described “long, shallow waves”; A Christchurch woman on the 10th floor of her building felt a “rolling motion” and several aftershocks afterward. One Portobello resident described the quake to 1News as “very strong”, while another in St Kilda said their “sofa was rocking back and forth”.

Caution remains

As a precaution, Queenstown Lakes District Council has closed the Edith Cavill Bridge for inspection by engineers at first light, with an update expected by 8.30am today. Motorists traveling through the Crown Range have also been warned to be careful and watch for potential rocks or debris on the road. Several smaller earthquakes were recorded in the area following the event, and officials urged continued caution.

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