A ripple effect of Tsunami warning

01.03.2010

OUR coastline held firm under the
force of the shock waves with an
outgoing tide abating the threat of
a tsunami.
With many in the region on
tsunami watch yesterday, tidal
surges of 10cm to 50cm lapped up
on Coffs Coast beaches from 10am.
The largest of three minor pulses
came at 1pm, having travelled
11,300 kilometres across the Pacific
Rim from the epicentre of the 8.8
magnitude earthquake, off the
coast of Chile.
Arriving as nothing more than a
series of ripples, they were seen
by large crowds gathered on the
coast in the form of two high tide
water marks on the shoreline.
By afternoon the Joint Australian
Tsunami Warning Centre
had downgraded its potential
tsunami threat.
"It did pose a decreased threat
in that the tide turned, and as a
result we were no longer talking
about any kind of foreshores flooding,"
JATWC spokesman Alasdair
Hainsworth said.
"Things got a bit crazy about
11.30am or so with (readings)
showing quite dramatic variations.
It doesn't sound a lot, but it generated
quite significant currents," he
said. The initial tsunami threat
was expected to hit the east coast
at high tide, around 9am, but arrived
about 90 minutes later, when
the tide started to recede.
Without knowing the magnitude
of the threat, authorities enforced
beach closures and emergency
services were on standby.
Coffs Harbour head lifeguard
Greg Hackfath said ocean conditions
were closely monitored from
local beaches before the danger
passed.
"Surf Life Saving clubs right
along the eastern seaboard were
urged to keep an eye on the ocean
and act on their own discretion
after the initial warning period
passed at 9am," Mr Hackfath said.
"Along beaches in Coffs Harbour,
Woolgoolga and Sawtell we
told people to get out of the water,'
he said.
"The danger to swimmers was
not the size of the potential waves,
but the velocity and water behind
them."
A marine warning issued by the
tsunami centre at 9.45pm Saturday
led to large crowds gathering at
vantage points up and down the
entire State overlooking the ocean.
Coffs Harbour Marine Rescue
reported a large number of boats
took to the ocean yesterday.