Review of the Tsunami Evacuation 2017

30 Appendix 1 1.29 a.m. entry
“Email received by CDEM Duty
Officer re “National Warning:
Tsunami Threat No 2” advising
“MCDEM has issued a tsunami
warning for Eastern coast of North
and South Island including the
Chatham Islands. It may arrive in
the Eastern Coast of the North
Island shortly. Move inland or to
higher ground immediately. A
tsunami is possible…..”
• “Necessary” requires the public to make an informed decision about where the zone
boundaries are. We know that not everyone knows their local zone and cannot expect
travellers, tourists etc. to have that level of knowledge
• If an evacuation is required for 1000s of people, it is necessary for people to not only get
just outside the evacuation zone but to keep going to prevent congestion behind for
those still evacuating (especially if evacuation is by vehicle).
The comment in italics is incorrect. The NWS message stated that the warning is for the “Eastern
coast of the North and South Islands”. This therefore, includes all of the Canterbury Coast.
Immediate evacuation is advised for these areas. People are not advised to evacuate if the
tsunami will not inundate land therefore, this warning is advising a threat to land.
First notification advising to move
inland or to higher ground
immediately but doesn’t specify
which coastal areas should be
evacuated and no mention of “land
threat”
33 Appendix 1 2.01 a.m.
Email received by CDEM Duty
Officer re “National Warning:
Tsunami Threat #3 HAMNER
SPRINGS EARTHQUAKE AND
TSUNAMI No:03 MARINE AND
LAND THREAT” advising “MCDEM
has issued a tsunami warning for
all of the eastern coast of the
North Island and all of the east
The comment in italics is incorrect. Evacuation has already been advised for Canterbury (and other
parts of Eastern New Zealand) at 0125 in Tsunami Threat #2.
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