Despite better warnings, we're more at risk from tsunamis 20 Apr, 2021 09:22 PM 9 minutes to read Traffic on the Ohope Hills after a tsunami warning on March 5. Photo / Andrew Warner By: Paul Gorman Tsunamis can be generated by earthquakes, landslides, undersea volcanic eruptions and even crashing meteorites. And despite better warnings, we are more at risk. By Paul Gorman. When the tsunami came that winter morning in 1868, many Chatham Islanders were asleep. Accompanied by a rising roar, three waves more than 6m high suddenly surged 6km inland across parts of the northern and eastern coasts of the main island during a 15-minute period from 1am on August 15.