Review of the Tsunami Evacuation 2017

2:07am Telephone to (District Operations Manager, Chch Police) to request that the Police
activate the “Coastal Evacuation Plan” because CCC is setting off the tsunami sirens. Informed by
Police that the Police had started evacuating approximately half an hour before on the direction
of the District Commander. The District Commander had been directed to activate the Coastal
Evacuation Plan by the Deputy Commissioner of National Operations of Police based in
Wellington.
2:10am Telephone call to to check that sirens were being activated and to advise that
Police were already evacuating coastal areas.
2:11am Sirens activated manually
2.11am Telephone call to to check that the sirens were activated. Confirmed that they
were now activated and sounding.
CDEM
CDEM
– Meerkat Alert
Systems
CDEM
Mobile phone records
supplied by Spark
Interview with
Interview with
Police
Mobile phone records
supplied by Spark
Interview with
Interview with
Interview with
Mobile phone records
supplied by Spark
Interview with
Interview with
2:11am Telephone call to (Geological Hazards Analyst, Environment Canterbury, Group
natural hazards adviser) advising that the sirens have been activated as per MCDEMs directions. CDEM
agreed that in order to keep message to residents consistent, given MCDEM had
directed an evacuation, residents in Christchurch should be evacuated but that it was unlikely a
tsunami would impact Christchurch.
2:12am Telephone to Councillor Livingstone to advise that tsunami sirens about to be activated Mary
Richardson, CCC
Mobile phone records
supplied by Spark
Interview with
Interview with
Copy of email subject line
“Mary has run to say
Tsunami sirens about to be
activated”
Interview with Mary
Richardson
37