IAEM Oceania

Source: Stuff.co.nz

Traffic cameras have been used to monitor the impact of the tsunami on Christchurch coastlines. Christchurch City Council civil defence staff used a traffic camera on Humphreys Drive to check water levels in the Estuary when the first wave – triggered by an earthquake near Samoa – reached Christchurch shores about 11.30am. A mobile traffic camera has also been positioned in Moncks Bay to record water levels in the Estuary throughout the day. Council civil defence manager Murray Sinclair said the water levels did not rise dramatically when the first wave hit.

Source: NZ Government

$1million to Samoa, Tonga for emergency relief

New Zealand is providing an initial $1million donation for immediate disaster relief efforts in Samoa and Tonga, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced today.

"This initial contribution will help the governments of Samoa and Tonga to provide essential supplies and personnel to help those in need following the earthquake and tsunami," Mr McCully said.

It is good to see Telecom also taking measures to ensure that the offer won't overload telecommunication systems - which may be under load in the affected countries due to damage and increased traffic.

TELECOM SUPPORT FOLLOWING DISASTERS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

1 October 2009

Telecom customers will not be charged for home phone calls to Samoa from midnight Tuesday until midnight Friday 2 October. Calls to Tonga will also not be charged from midnight Wednesday to midnight Friday.

Source: Radio NZ Online

Samoa's disaster management office says more than 32,000 people have been affected in some way by the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck in the South Pacific on Wednesday.

The office puts the confirmed death at 83, though it expects that will rise. In neighbouring American Samoa 24 people have perished and seven people died in Tonga in the aftermath of the 8.0 magnitude quake.

Vodafone has just announced via Twitter that they are making free off-peak calls available to Samoa over the next two days. Hattip to @ook and @dpfdpf

Calls to Samoa free from 6pm tonight for next two days on fixed and mobile with Vodafone. Our thoughts are with you, Samoa.

I believe 2degrees may have a similar deal in the offering.

Reports from various international aid agencies are available from this page on ReliefWeb.

The second Situation Report from OCHA is now publicly available. It was released at 2009-09-30 2000 Fiji time. The key details have been quoted below. A pdf is available for download.

Highlights/Key Priorities

• Death toll in Western Samoa has risen to 62 and is expected to rise
• Northern Tonga also affected with 6 confirmed dead. A State of Emergency has been declared for Niuatoputapu

Tide guages

Detided guages

Source: Radio New Zealand radio @ ~1740 NZDT

RNZ interviewed the Director of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management about possible issues with the tsunami alerts received in the north of the North Island.

Source: NZ Government

Orion heads to Samoa, Hercules on stand-by

An Airforce P3 Orion is enroute to Samoa, and before dark may be able to join the coastal search for survivors of this morning's earthquake and tsunami, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.

"The Orion will join the search along the coast of Upolu, Savaii, and other islands, and also help assess damage to villages, roads and infrastructure," Mr McCully said.