The Boxing Day tsunami claimed 230,000 lives across India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka on 26 December 2004. NEMA’s Deputy Chief Executive Emergency Management John Price says a similar catastrophe could happen in Aotearoa.
John Price was deployed to Thailand in 2005 following the tsunami. He worked as the ante-mortem commander in the international disaster victim identification team as part of Operation Phuket.
“The Boxing Day tsunami is a tragic reminder of the devasting power of tsunamis, and a reminder that we need to learn and plan. A tsunami is more than a wave – it is a wall of debris and destruction. I’ve seen first-hand the heartbreaking human toll that tsunamis can claim, and the same could happen here in Aotearoa.
“All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami, and we have a lot of coastline. The Hikurangi fault along the North Island’s East Coast could cause a similar scale earthquake and tsunami to the subduction zone in the Indian Ocean that triggered the tragic events of 20 years ago.
“For a local tsunami, the first waves could arrive in minutes. There won’t be time for an official warning, so immediate self-evacuation is key to survival.. It’s important we all recognise the natural warning signs and act quickly.,
“When you’re near the coast, remember – Long or Strong, Get Gone. That means, if you feel an earthquake that is long – longer than a minute, or strong – it’s hard to stand up, get gone – evacuate as soon as the shaking stops.”
John Price says it’s critical that people near the coast check if they’re in a tsunami zone, and if so, plan their escape route.
“You can check our National Tsunami Evacuation Zone Map – if you’re heading somewhere coastal this summer, just pop in the address of your campground or bach to find out if you’re in a tsunami zone. (ref. https://getready.govt.nz/emergency/tsunami/tsunami-evacuation-zones )
Give it a go now and practice your escape route. It’s a nifty tool that could save your life. Plan today so you can live for tomorrow.”
Mr Price says a lot of progress has been made both internationally and locally to strengthen tsunami arrangements since the Boxing Day tsunami. New Zealand now has a 24/7 geohazards monitoring centre, a 24-7 NEMA Monitoring, Alerting and Reporting Centre, the Emergency Mobile Alert system, and the world’s second largest DART buoy (marine tsunami sensor) network. However, they key to tsunami safety remains the public taking the right actions to keep themselves safe.
