USGS issued a tsunami warning and said coastal inundation was expected on the east coast of the North Island from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay.
- Strong earthquake struck off New Zealand’s North Island and caused severe shaking
- The residents of New Zealand coast were warned by the authorities to move immediately to the nearest high ground, due to tsunami threat
- Authorities ordered people to move out of tsunami evacuation zones, as far inland as possible.
Powerful 7.3-magnitude (earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, according to USGS) earthquake struck 147 miles northeast of Gisborne, New Zealand, at 2:27 a.m. Friday (8:27 a.m. EST), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The agency issued a tsunami warning and said coastal inundation was expected on the east coast of the North Island from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay.
North Island coastal were instructed to head to higher ground due to a tsunami threat.
Thousands of the country’s residents reported feeling the tremors, some even as far away as Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island, more than 540 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.
| Preliminary Report | |
| Magnitude | 6.9 |
| Date-Time | 4 Mar 2021 13:27:35 UTC 5 Mar 2021 02:27:35 near epicenter |
| Location | 37.596S 179.543E |
| Depth | 10 km |
| Distances | 178.9 km (110.9 mi) NE of Gisborne, New Zealand 228.9 km (141.9 mi) E of Whakatane, New Zealand 296.4 km (183.8 mi) ENE of Rotorua, New Zealand 298.2 km (184.9 mi) E of Tauranga, New Zealand 311.3 km (193.0 mi) NE of Napier, New Zealand |
| Location Uncertainty | Horizontal: 8.3 km; Vertical 1.7 km |
| Parameters | Nph = 120; Dmin = 109.3 km; Rmss = 1.39 seconds; Gp = 23° |
