New Zealanders know the catchphrase “If an earthquake is Long or Strong, Get Gone” – but do you know where to “get gone” to?
Today is World Tsunami Awareness Day, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)’s Chief Science Advisor Professor Tom Wilson is urging people across Aotearoa New Zealand to take a few minutes to check their tsunami zone and plan their evacuation route.
NEMA’s annual emergency preparedness survey shows awareness of the need to self-evacuate in a long or strong earthquake near the coast has risen from 75% to 86%.
“It’s really encouraging to see high awareness of our Long or Strong, Get Gone advice,” Dr Wilson says.
“However, many people may not know if they’re in an evacuation zone, and where they should evacuate to.
“The National Tsunami Evacuation Zone Map lets you look up the address of anywhere you live, work or play, and it will tell you straight away if you’re in a tsunami evacuation zone.
“Give it a go now, and practice your route. It’s a nifty tool that could save your life.
“All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami, and we have a lot of coastline. In a local-source tsunami – like one caused by an earthquake on the Hikurangi fault along the North Island’s East Coast – immediate self-evacuation is key to survival.”
Professor Wilson says research into the 5 March 2021 tsunami sequence shows that people often wait for an official warning before evacuating, when they should leave straight away.
“Awareness may be high, but the science tells us that people aren’t always doing the right thing in the heat of the moment. The more we plan and practice now, the easier it will be when we have a real tsunami event.
“To mark World Tsunami Awareness Day, take a few moments with your whānau today – and find out what to do if a tsunami strikes.”
Dr Wilson says 2024 marks twenty years since the Boxing Day Tsunami, which claimed 230,000 lives across India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka on 26 December 2004.
“The Boxing Day tsunami is a tragic reminder of the devasting power of tsunamis, and a reminder that we need to learn and plan.”
