Tsunami Alert Norfolk Island
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21 January 2022
On Saturday 15th January 2022, Norfolk Island was placed on Tsunami Warning Alert following the Tongan Volcanic eruption and earthquake. My thoughts go to the community and islanders in Tonga after Saturday’s massive eruption and the tsunami and ash which has damaged their landscape and destroyed homes and sadly as also taken lives.
I was first alerted with a call from family in New Zealand and even though New Zealand was already on Tsunami Alerts, Australia took about an hour or more to post the warnings for Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.
Australia BOM Tsunami alerts updated each hour and during the night the warnings upgraded from Marine Tsunami alert to Land Tsunami alert for Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Macquarie Island, and the East Coast of Australia from Tasmania to Queensland were also on coastal Tsunami warning alerts, advising everyone to move away from low coastal areas and to stay out of the water and marine areas.
I felt concerned that no SMS text warnings had been issued on Norfolk Island, which was a system put in place on Norfolk Island last year. I contacted EMNI, via email and on Sunday I received a reply stating
“Thank you for your concern, we had officers driving around the low lying area making sure people were safe. Due to the late notification, it was difficult to have a radio broadcast.”
I did send another email asking why the SMS TEXT Emergency system was not used, but I did not receive a reply. Sunday morning the Norfolk Island Radio Station did notify the community about the Tsunami Warning, but this was too late for those who visit the beaches and coastal area early in the morning for walks or swims.
Australia BOM and social media was the main place for the Norfolk Island community to keep up to date with the concern of the Tsunami threat to our low coastal zones and Norfolk Island marine areas. The multi booms and explosive noise just before 7pm alerted the community when a sonic boom from the Tonga volcano eruption vibrated around the world. Norfolk Islanders reported that their house shook, the same as an earthquake and the multi booms sounded like blasting or explosions and had many concerned on what had happened. I have heard reports the Police officers checked with community members at Anson Bay and Captain Cook’s Reserve, to see if they were aware of what the noise was or if they had fired a gun.
The Australian Weather BOM Tsunami warning alert continued on Sunday 16th January, and it wasn’t until after 11am until the warning was reduced down to a Marine warning declaring the possibility of dangerous rips and strong ocean currents, which would threaten the foreshore of Norfolk Island.
The tsunami warning for Norfolk Island was cancelled 24 hours later on Sunday night the 16 January 2022. The water in the bay appeared milky or cloudy for a day or so after, it maybe have been the rapid tidal changes or the Easterly swell which was also rolling past our coastline.
During the afternoon my husband and I drove to Cascade Pier and to Queen Elizabeth II Lookout and down drove to Kingston. The day was warm and sunny and there were many families down at Emily Bay enjoying the calm water in the lagoon. It was low tide when were in the area and noticed the tide was not a low as I would have expected with the Full Moon due this week. There was a large Easterly swell rolling into Cemetery Bay and between Point Hunter, Lone Pine and Nepean Island. The Cemetery Bay area high tide water had reached the dunes and grass area.
It was interesting talking to locals during the week. Charles Christian Bailey visited Bumbora during Sunday morning, and he watched the rapid change in tidal rips with the water receding and returning quickly. I have friends who witnessed this in New Zealand during a Tsunami warning, when tides change dramatically every half hour.
I have also learnt that locals were walking their dogs early in the morning at Cemetery Bay and felt concerned when the water went out leaving the reef out of the water and returned up to the dunes and one of the men as caught up to his waist in water and luckily was OK and not injured. This gentleman always walks the beach in the morning and had not had that experience before. He thought the tsunami warning was during the night and did not know the Tsunami Land Warning was still in place on Sunday morning.
Official records showed Norfolk Island experienced a 1.27metre tsunami wave at about 10pm, and luckily there was no recorded damage or injuries. It was fortunate that there was no one in the water, imagine how many people would be in the lagoon in the middle of a summer’s day down at Emily Bay. It was also lucky there were no campers, they had packed up after New Year, due to the Covid situation on Norfolk Island.
Tsunami waves may not appear as big as the waves, swells and cyclones which crash onto the Norfolk Island Coastline, but the energy behind a tsunami can be deceiving. The water can travel up waterways, swamps and up into valleys. The Land Tsunami warning recommended moving 1km inland or up to a 10m height above sea level areas.
The Norfolk Island Regional Council NIRC, has a Norfolk Island Disaster and Emergency Management Plan (NORDISPLAN) RP09, dated 2013 for Tsunami Response Plan. This plan has clear maps detailing these detailing the heights above sea level, check out the link if you would like to read the details.
The last Tsunami Alert for Norfolk Island was on 5 March 2021, this was a Tsunami alert for the New Zealand and the Pacific Island after Kermadec Islands Earthquakes and a few weeks before that as an alert on 11 February 2021.
Norfolk Island Historic Tidal Waves
May 1805, Reports of the damage caused by a tidal wave at Kingston “many houses were much damaged, and one swept totally away. This rage of the element continued the whole night, nor did the tide recover its usual flow until the third day following”. Sydney Gazette, 16 June 1805, p. 2
May 1805, “on the 11th of the present month it were the most serious and distressing appearance, exhibiting a phenomon at the same time never before witnessed. At half past four in the afternoon, then low water, the surf began to beat with unusual violence and rapidity, at frequent intervals occasioning an influx into the town of 16 feet perpendicular height; the consequences of which were severely felt by the houses in the lower row, the backs of which were beat down and washed away with the surf, which with equal velocity returned to the low water mark. It continued thus, with little abatement, until one in the morning of the 12th, when happily the consternation was removed with its cause; but during the continuance of which every building within the possible reach of the exasperated element was emptied of its contents. A number of inhabitants have suffered by the deluge, which, had it unfortunately happened at high tide, it is supposed must have swept away the whole town of Sydney.” A private letter received by the Ferret from Norfolk Island, 1805 of May 23
8th May 1834, huge rise in tide, flooded the waterfront, the area near the landing place. A great amount of damage to many buildings which were near the seafront. The two commissariat stores were flooded and Police Office was badly damaged, water flowing through the windows and large parts of land washed away.
Convict Kingston, Nan Smith book. Page 32.
In Australia, the communities are on alert for tropical cyclones and fire emergencies, but as I grew up in New Zealand and emergencies from Earthquakes and Tsunamis has been part of our education and public safety. I know the risk and seriousness of the threat of ocean events and what earthquakes can cause, especially with dangerous waves and currents and rapid tidal changes.
This week I have voiced my concern for warning systems for the Norfolk Island community. There were no Emergency SMS TEXT alerts for the community. The time of the evening made it difficult to broadcast radio warnings for the local community. There was no signage at Kingston on Sunday, and it appears there were no roadblocks put in place to advise the community about the Tsunami Land Alert Emergency warning. Thank you to the Sunday morning radio announcer talking about the Tsunami Alert, but more needs to be done to keep the community safe. I expect Emergency Management Norfolk Island EMNI, and the NI Police who have the responsibility of informing the community and promoting education to teach the community about the risk of Tsunamis and the dangers of the waves and currents on low coastal areas.
My thoughts go to the community and islanders in Tonga after Saturday’s massive eruption and the tsunami. Images on the TV and social media are devastating. Island community buildings have been washed away or covered with ash. Communication links were lost and New Zealand and Australian emergency services and military have now sent aid to assist, along with water and food.
Stay safe everyone, remember to follow Australia BOM Tsunami alerts, New Zealand Tsunami Alerts and the South Pacific alerts.
Betty Matthews
January 2022