Tuck into turtle mode: Hawke's Bay kids dive under desks for Shakeout earthquake drill

Tamariki tucked into turtle mode and squished under tables as they led the way for Hawke's Bay's ShakeOut drill.

When the alarm sounded at 9.30 am this morning 78 year 0-2 students at Port Ahuriri School dived under their desks to join 21,154 people in Hawke's Bay in a dress rehearsal for what to do in an earthquake, followed by a tsunami.

Bailey Buscke, Phoebe Woolrich and Jasper Thomson of Room 3 felt a mixture of emotions while they dropped, covered, and held their heads underneath their desks.

"It was very squishy, a bit scary, but fun," the three tamariki said.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence emergency management adviser Robert Johnson said it is important that the region practice the ShakeOut drills, as the area is part of the Hikurangi Subduction Zone.

Being part of this zone means there is a 26 per cent chance in the next 50 years that the region will experience a major earthquake.

Year 2 Port Ahuriri student Willow Woolrich joined her classmates in a nationwide ShakeOut drill on Thursday. Photo / Warren Buckland

"One in four odds are relatively high, so it's important that people prepare for these events.

"Everyone should be practising what the kids were doing today. The kids are definitely leading the way," Johnson said.

Port Ahuriri principal Glenn France said the school had been practising a version of the drill for over 25 years.

"It's very important that we participate in the ShakeOut, given the school's location in Ahuriri. It's also important, like all drills, that these things are updated over time," France said.

The school has recently changed its tsunami plan after learning that its previous evacuation route was not suitable in the event of an earthquake.

"Yesterday we did a practice of our tsunami plan up Goldsmith Road in the hot sun. It took the kids about eight minutes all up," Port Ahuriri teacher Hinauri McColl said.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence emergency management adviser Lily Foulds led tamariki in a practice of the key mantras of the ShakeOut, which were: drop, cover, hold, and if a shake is long and strong, get gone.

Foulds said it was great that the schools could continue to take part in the drill, given the uncertain Covid-19 environment.

"Emergency planning now takes place in a global pandemic, but it's important that we don't lose sight of other events that can happen.

"In Auckland, we saw the importance of maintaining our outreach during lockdowns with the flooding there. It's vital that we keep these drills and messages at the fore," she said.