Earthquakes and Tsunamis!

I took this picture when we returned from "higher ground" after the tsunami warning.  It was the night of the Super Moon and the water was eerily calm

Our day started early today!  I had heard what sounded like a really loud house alarm go off twice. Each time it blasted for what seemed like about five minutes. I didn't think anything of it other than it was loud and woke me up. Shortly after it quit the second time Beth's phone started dinging every few minutes. Although she had slept through the sirens the phone was right by her bed and woke her up. She was getting warning messages from our expert earthquake and tsunami watcher Debbie.
I don't use the word "expert" lightly!  You see a few years ago while we were in Hawaii Debbie called us in the middle of the night. She wanted to warn us that an earthquake had possibly triggered a tsunami that would hit the islands. Thankfully the tsunami never materialized that day. All the islanders that had moved inland just turned it into a big party along the roadsides much like a tailgate party. It was fun to watch.
Flash forward to this morning. Shortly after midnight a very strong (7.8 magnitude) earthquake hit near the north end of the South Island. Sadly there were a few fatalities as well as damage to Picton and Wellington which were two cities we visited less than two weeks ago.
Once again Debbie was watching out for us and reached out much further this time to warn us. The house we were in was a coastal home in a tsunami hazard area.
We decided not to take any chances so we evacuated to higher ground. When we arrived there was already a car there. Most likely it was another traveler like us who was unsure what to do and simply went to the highest spot possible.
As we started to get more information on the radio we figured out it was safe to go back to the house. Ironically when we got back to the house the water in the bay was as calm as we had seen it and the super moon was glowing brightly in a cloudless sky. It was such a peaceful scene and quite a contrast to what was happening elsewhere in this wonderful country.
Thanks Debbie, we appreciate you keeping an eye out for us!