Review of the Tsunami Evacuation 2017

10:03am
Email received by CDEM Duty Officer re “National Warning#11: NO CHANGE Tsunami – Threat to
Marine and Beach Areas No 10” advising “MCDEM has issued a tsunami warning (marine and
beach threat) from Napier to north Dunedin, Cook Straight coastal areas and The Chatham
Islands. Please see map attached for affected areas. The threat for all other regions has been
lifted. All previous threat regions will experience unusually strong currents for some time. Areas
under “Marine and Beach Threat’ can expect unusually strong currents and unpredictable water
flows near the shore. This means a threat to beach, harbour, estuary and small boat activities.
The severity of currents and changing water flows will vary within a particular coastal area and
over the period this warning is in effect. Current assessments indicate that coastal inundation
(flooding in land areas near the shore) is not expected but this assessment may change. People
in Napier to north Dunedin, Cook Straight coastal areas and The Chatham Islands should: stay
out of the water, stay off beaches, do not go sightseeing, follow instructions of local civil
defence authorities, if beach threat is forecasted for your area, take appropriate evasive action.
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.
National
Controller,
MCDEM issued
email
Interview with
Interview with
Copy of email subject line:
“National Warning#11: NO
CHANGE Tsunami – Threat
to Marine and Beach
Areas”
Map attached highlights Christchurch and Banks Peninsula as subject to a tsunami threat at a
level of 0.2 -1m tsunami threat levels.
Notification title states “#11” in heading but refers to “No: 10” and is unclear whether there
continues to be a need to move inland or to higher ground.
10:04am Text alert received by CCC staff directing them to check email – “National Warning#11: NO
CHANGE Tsunami Threat to Marine and Beach Areas”
10:55am Text alert received by CCC staff directing them to check email – “National Warning#12 Tsunami -
Threat to Marine and Beach Areas”
10:55am Email received by CDEM Duty Officer re “National Warning#12: NO CHANGE Tsunami – Threat to
Marine and Beach Areas” advising “MCDEM has issued a tsunami warning (marine and beach
threat) from Napier to north Dunedin, Cook Straight coastal areas and The Chatham Islands.
Please see the attached map for affected areas. The threat for all other regions has been lifted.
All previous threat regions will experience unusually strong currents for some time. Areas under
“Marine and Beach Threat’ can expect unusually strong currents and unpredictable water flows
near the shore. This means a threat to beach, harbour, estuary and small boat activities. The
severity of currents and changing water flows will vary within a particular coastal area and over
MCDEM issued
text
MCDEM issued
text
National
Controller,
MCDEM issued
email
Screen shot of text from
mobile phone
Screen shot of text from
mobile phone
Interview with
Interview with
Copy of email subject line:
“National Warning#12: NO
CHANGE Tsunami – Threat
50