WELLINGTON, New Zealand—When an underwater volcanic eruption off Tonga triggered tsunami waves at least a meter high on Saturday, the managers of the Ha’atafu Beach Resort and their children sprinted through bushes in a desperate scramble to safety.
They have since returned to a changed landscape. The tropical coastline popular with surfers and snorkelers, was ravaged by the tsunami, which caused ocean swells as far away as the U.S. West Coast and Japan. The nearby Kanokupolu village was severely damaged.
