Review of the Tsunami Evacuation 2017

3:20am Text alert received by CCC staff directing them to check email – “National Warning#5: Tsunami -
Threat to Marine and Land Areas”
3:20am Email received by CDEM Duty Officer re “National Warning#5: Tsunami – Threat to Marine and
Land Areas” advising “MCDEM has issued a tsunami warning (marine and land threat) from East
Cape to Southland, including Wellington (which also includes the Cook Straight area),
Marlborough Sounds/ Tasman Bay and the Chatham Islands, and a marine threat for all other
New Zealand coastal areas. See the map attached for affected areas. Areas under “Marine and
Land Threat’ can also expect a threat to coastal inundation to land areas near the shore. Current
assessments indicate that wave amplitudes of up to 3-5 meters along the coastlines closest to
the earthquake epicenter (estimated from Blenheim to Banks Peninsula, and also including the
Chatham Islands) can be expected in some areas (see attached map). People in coastal areas
should: stay out of the water, stay off beaches, do not go sightseeing, follow instructions of local
civil defence authorities. Warning will remain in effect until a cancellation message is issued by
MCDEM. Local civil defence authorities will interpret this information for their areas and advise
public action.”
Map attached highlights Christchurch and Banks Peninsula as subject to a tsunami threat at a
level of 3-5m.
MCDEM issued
text
National
Controller,
MCDEM issued
email.
Screen shot of text from
mobile phone
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Copy of email subject line:
“National Warning#5:
Tsunami -Threat to Marine
and Land Areas”
Notification no longer refers to the need to move inland or to higher ground. Notification
introduces reference to local authorities interpreting information and advising public action.
3:21am Email to PIM requesting that a message is posted on Twitter as soon as possible Mayor, CCC Copy of email subject line
“Earthquake update”
3:29am Telephone call to (Senior Sergeant, Christchurch Police) advising that there were
Mobile phone records
residents in the evacuation zone who could not be contacted. Requesting Police assistance to CDEM
supplied by Spark
make contact with those residents. Confirmation came later that Police were able to make
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contact with those residents.
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3:30am
Message posted on CDEM Facebook page advising “The tsunami sirens have been sounding for
some time but have currently stopped. They will be restarting in half an hour. The evacuation for
people living in low lying areas within one kilometer of the Christchurch coastline remains in
place. Where possible please make contact with family and friends who may live inland or
higher ground as evacuation points”.
PIM
CDEM Facebook page
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