Seventy thousand New Zealanders on both the north and south islands felt a’massive’ 6.1 magnitude earthquake that shook the country.
The ‘terrifying’ tremor was centered in Wellington on the north island around 7.38pm NZDT on Wednesday, approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Paraparaumu and at a depth of 76 kilometers.
The earthquake was classified as powerful by GeoNet after it struck with a jolt and was followed by 30 seconds of moderate shaking.
A resident of Christchurch told the New Zealand Herald that the earthquake felt more like a rolling motion.
Aaron Dahmen, chief political correspondent for Newstalk ZB, reported that his entire Wellington home violently shook after he felt a ‘huge bump’
He stated that a persistent rumble ensued for some minutes.
Other New Zealanders characterized the quake as “massive” and “terrifying.”
The National Emergency Management Agency stated that a tsunami threat does not exist.
It comes one day after the government declared a national emergency owing to significant floods and destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle.
Tuesday morning, tens of thousands of New Zealanders on the North Island awoke to no power, flooded homes, road closures, and phone outages, as a result of the monster storm’s widespread destruction and isolation of towns.
The storm’s catastrophic winds left tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, without electricity, including the whole city of Napier.
MORE TO COME.
»6.1 magnitude earthquake impacts New Zealand in Wellington, northwest of Paraparaumu«