New zone to simplify Manawatū-Whanganui tsunami evacuation

41k funding awarded to Manawatū-Whanganui CDEM Group for tsunami evacuation changes and education. Photo / NZME

A new “blue zone” will simplify tsunami evacuation in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

The zone will be created alongside a public education campaign with $41,273 from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Resilience Fund.

Currently, there are three levels of evacuation zone – red, orange, and yellow – which will be replaced with one ‘blue zone’.

“It clarifies any confusion around what zone you need to get to or get out of,” Matthew Putt, senior emergency management adviser for the Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, said.

The evacuation zones are calculated using the “maximum credible event”, which looks at the worst-case scenario.

It will also align with national standards.

“[So] it doesn’t matter where in the country you are, you’re going to get the same message,” Putt said.

The funding will also be used to teach people, especially those living within the evacuation zone, to spot the signs of a potential tsunami.

“If it’s an earthquake that is noticeably strong for you, in terms of really struggling to stand up and something that goes on for quite a while, we really encourage people to evacuate to outside of those evacuation zones,” Putt said.

He said tsunamis pose a real threat to coastal communities.

“All of New Zealand’s coastline is exposed to tsunami risk so no one is really immune to this where we live.

“Our main source of a tsunami is generally from an earthquake so that’s why we’re really trying to push that ‘long strong get gone’ message,” he said.

“For our local communities, we really want them to know and understand their risks so they can look after their friends, their whanau, and their communities.

“We encourage people if they are needing to evacuate to take their pets with them as well, because if it’s not safe for you it’s not safe for your pets.”

The new mapping and signage will be installed over the next year.

“The contribution from the Resilience Fund is fantastic because that’s money that doesn’t have to come from ratepayers pockets to get the work done and meet the national standards.”

Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.