Northland Tsunami Alert: Emergency services pleased with the way public responded

The team at the Onerahi Fire Station was on hand to help those who had evacuated from Raurimu Avenue School due to the predicted tsunami. Photo / Tania Whyte

Northland police were pleased with the behaviour of the general public during yesterday's large scale evacuations across the region.

Acting senior sergeant for the District Command Centre Nigel Turnbull said there were no injuries, arrests, damage or major incidents during the five hours people were ordered to higher ground.

A 91-year-old man with pre-existing health problems passed away as a Waipū retirement home evacuated its residents. Turnbull said there was nothing suspicious or untoward about the man's death.

An hour-long gridlock in central Whangārei was the extent of Northland's traffic woes with motorists calm in the mid and Far North.

"Whangārei was gridlocked in the morning as everyone evacuated at the same time," Turnbull said.

Officers were hard at work alongside Civil Defence staff as they evacuated vulnerable areas in Northland as the region braced itself for a surge.

"We had officers who went to the outer areas in Northland like Ahipara, which had to be fully evacuated," Turnbull said. "It was all hands to the pump."

Police were busy checking in with schools, hospitals, and care homes to ensure the safety of vulnerable Northlanders.

Turnbull said staff involved in yesterday's tasks had reported everything as going "smoothly".

"We found most communities in Northland were really aware and responsive to what the alarms meant," he said. "Police weren't getting reports of incidents where people were not doing what they should."

Turnbull was unable to officially confirm whether there had been people in the evacuation zones who refused to leave their homes or baches as the overall response from the public had been very co-operative.

Firefighters across Northland were kept busy as they responded to 10 callouts before 10am.

Multiple emergencies took place in Ahipara, Ngunguru, and Waipū. Crews were also called to remote areas such as the Karikari Peninsula and Matauri Bay.

By 2.30pm they had attended around 15 callouts, most non-fire related events.

Firefighters were out in force in Onerahi, Waipū, and Waitangi where they shared acts of kindness as they provided food and water to the hordes of people camped out in the safe zones.