As phones blare with tsunami warnings, the sound of hundreds of school students singing a waiata fills Ohope Hill.

Ohope Hill resident Taz Amos says the Whakatane community know how to unite in a crisis.

'After the Whakaari White Island eruption last year, we are like a big family here. We trust each other and we support each other,” says Taz.

Taz has been working since the early hours of this morning on Whakatane's local radio station, 1XX, updating residents on the initial earthquakes.

Just as she was about to leave her workplace in central Whakatane at about 9am, she received a phone alert saying everyone must evacuate.

'We tried driving but it was gridlocked, so we decided to get our steps in and walk instead.

'It took about an hour, but we stopped to talk to residents along the way to reassure them, and to make sure everyone received the message. There were people everywhere.”

It is not just Whakaari White Island that has united the Eastern Bay.

'I was just talking to my neighbour, who I haven't spoken to before,” says Taz.

'She told me that she lived in my house when the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake hit. The earthquakes this morning took her mind straight back to that time.”

School students gather on the streets in Ohope. Photo: Taz Amos.

While the community remains strong, Taz says there is also an eerie feeling on Ohope Hill.

'From my house you can usually hear birds – kiwis, tuis and all sorts – but the bush is completely silent.”

The news is spreading throughout the world. All morning, Taz has been receiving calls from family overseas.

'My brother is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on a super yacht and even he heard about it and called to see if I was OK.”

Back at 1XX, which is an official Civil Defence Station, two staff members are standing by to keep the community informed.

'It's important that we keep as many communication avenues open as possible, so everyone is kept informed” says onsite 1XX staff member Kieran Watkins.

'We have a ladder to climb up onto the roof if we need to.”