Covering the Tongan volcanic eruption and tsunami from abroad, during a blackout in communications

New Zealand-based Agnes Tupou* – a Tongan journalist working for Pacific Media Network – reflects on how they provided timely information, reassurance and spiritual comfort to Tongan people abroad in the days and weeks following the tsunami.

If you told me my first day back to work for 2022 was to deal with the devastating volcanic explosion in my homeland, someone should’ve informed me to put on my big girl pants, because I wasn’t quite prepared to embrace the next month of no communication with my family.

The 15th January seems like a blur, initially. When news broke that the Hunga Tonga Hunga Haápai Volcano had erupted in the little Kingdom of Tonga, social media accounts were flooded with locals filming the deep and deafening blast that echoed right across the Pacific and heard as far as Alaska, locals coining it as ‘the last day of earth’.

Reports of a tsunami triggered by the volcanic eruption had already hit the shores of the capital Nukuálofa, already destroying low-lying islands of Mango, Fonoifua, Atata and Nomuka.

But then it went silent, eerily silent.  No more live feeds from Tonga? The last reports were of a thick black blanket of ash were now covering every single fale (house).

In the early days – it was difficult to provide the correct information to our listeners and wider community but Pacific Media Network was able to respond.

What is now known – confirmed by reports from NASA – is that the volcanic eruption spewed ash 61 kilometres high into the atmosphere, triggering a tsunami that affected other surrounding Pacific nations and even causing damage to boats along the shores of the West Coast of Aotearoa / New Zealand.

What we weren’t prepared for, was the magnitude of damage the underwater volcanic eruption caused to the only internet cable connecting us to our families.

Read more: Floods in Europe: PSM in times of emergency

Now that communication was cut off – how could one fully know the extent of damage to houses, agriculture, livestock and especially the wellbeing and safety of our people?

In the early days – it was difficult to provide the correct information to our listeners and wider community but Pacific Media Network was able to respond. Our PMN Tonga Language team hosted by Producer Filipo Motulalo and well-known Journalist/Broadcaster and TV Personality John Pulu were able to broadcast in the early morning hours directly after the tsunami. Whilst there was a communications blackout from Tonga, the PMN team was on-air speaking in Lea FakaTonga (Tongan language) and playing traditional Tongan hymns which was of great comfort for listeners who tuned in with earnest prayer and thoughts.  A call for calm as Tongan communities united across the world, knowing full well there was no clear picture of the immediate impacts happening on the ground of Tonga.

Read more: Cable connecting Tongan islands could take year to fix (Pacific Media Network)

Awareness became the focal point of discussions:

• Who to financially donate to?
• What were the immediate needs?
• What credible organisations can send goods?

Naturally, requests of prayer and thoughts are a familiar task for our people. If you know my homeland, a nation founded on Christianity – King George I, lifting up soil to the heavens and dedicating Tonga to God uttering the words (Koe Ótua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofiá – God and Tonga are my inheritance) – you would then understand the fabric of this little Pacific nation and how their response to the impact of such a catastrophic event, was in prayer and thanks to a God who spared so many lives.

As a broadcaster/journalist, reporting on something so close to home, tugged on my heart strings more than I realised because it involved my family. My brother, his wife and children all live in the village of Vaini in the capital Nukuálofa, Tonga.

It’s a timely reminder for PMN to be prepared when emergencies / natural disasters strike, that we have the necessary resources so we can provide accuracy in our reporting.

I wouldn’t say panic set in, but the unknown was taking an emotional toll, which was evident when broadcasting live with Pacific journalist Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson who turned the tables on me and asked a simple question: “But how are you doing Aggie?” Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to utter what I really felt about the whole situation.

For a full month, even after a little opening of temporary satellite links were set up, there was still no luck in speaking to my family. Jackson recalled a similar situation when dealing first-hand reporting on Samoa’s largest tsunami in 2009.  It took a toll on her mental and  emotional wellbeing but was grateful for the support she received. This was the very glimmer of hope I needed to hear knowing what I felt wasn’t foreign.

Our 531pi Breakfast show ‘Pacific Mornings with Aggie’ that week was dedicated to Tonga, inviting voices from the community to cover various angles.

• Political commentator Malakai Koloamatangi provided updates.
• Caritas Aotearoa Finau Leveni about how to donate responsibly.
• Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai Sopoga about the health impacts of the eruption and tsunami.
• Pacific Journalist Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson provided an analysis on the media coverage & the mental health impacts on Journalists.
• University of South Pacific Lau Dr. Viliamu Iese about the agricultural impacts
• New Zealand Tonga Business Council Chair Rachel Afeaki-Taumoepeau about the impact on Tonga businesses
• The only Pacific Volcanologist Aleni Fepuleai about the volcano makeup and likelihood to erupt again and what plan is needed?
• National Party Pacific Peoples spokesperson Shane Reti about engagement with the Tonga community and reaching out to Elon Musk for a possible Satellite link to restore communication.
• The coverage the second week was a MFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade} and MPP (Ministry of Pacific Peoples) collaboration – provided updates on reputable donation sites & the relief efforts for Tonga.