A series of strong earthquakes rocked the North Island this morning, causing damage in Hawke's Bay.
The first quake, measuring magnitude 5.9, struck at 10:16 a.m., centred at Pōrangahau in Hawke’s Bay. According to Geonet, the tremor was 24 km deep. It was followed by a second quake, measuring magnitude 5.4, just three minutes later in the same area, at a depth of 17 km.
Both quakes were considered severe.
At 10:21 a.m., a third quake measuring magnitude 3.9 hit the same area, centred 10 km west of Pōrangahau, and at a shallower depth of 14 km. In the next 25 minutes, a series of aftershocks followed, with a total of 10 earthquakes hitting the region.
While the earthquakes caused damage in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand Civil Defence confirmed that there was no tsunami threat across the eastern coastline.
A Pōrangahau resident told NZME the area had been "smashed by the biggest earthquake".
"S*** flying everywhere out of cupboards and shelves, a second one just starting. Our house is rocking uncontrollably.”
“We are getting in our car, too dangerous in the house. The shakes are continuing,” a Pōrangahau resident said on Facebook.
A staff member at the Duke Hotel in Pōrangahau told Hawke's Bay Today they were in the upstairs office when the whole building shook from side to side.
“It’s all damaged. Everything is on the ground."
“We are just on the phones at the moment trying to find out if we have to evacuate. Questions about the tsunami are definitely rising.”
Pōrangahau School's Facebook page says it's "following protocol" and evacuating to the hall after this morning's quakes.
“If you would like to pick up your tamariki from the hall come on down if it is safe for you to do so. They have bags with them and we are taking kai,” it said.
People all over the lower North Island have felt the shaking, with people in Pōneke saying they felt a rolling motion.
In Napier, office workers hid under their desks while the quake shook for about a minute.
GeoNet says that about 50,000 people all over the country reported feeling the four shocks.
“Our team are still looking at this so the size/locations are currently preliminary. We will have updated information ASAP,” the GNS group said.
