Households residing along the coastal strip from Mount Maunganui to Papamoa East will be receiving newly updated tsunami evacuation maps as part of a tsunami pack in the mail from the week 21 February.
The tsunami pack will also include a template for households to 'make a plan' and a fridge magnet to ensure the map and plan are stored in an easily accessible location.
Paula Naude, Manager: Emergency Management, says the evacuation maps prompt residents to know their nearest safe zones. "Use the maps to work our where you need to go to escape a tsunami and practice walking there."
Standard tsunami evacuation advice from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is to walk rather than drive.
"As experienced during Tauranga's tsunami warning in March 2021, there will be major traffic jams during an evacuation. Think about what happens to the traffic after a concert or a car accident. Magnify that in the aftermath of a big earthquake that could trigger a tsunami. You are much better to evacuate by foot or cycle.
"As well as planning your evacuation route, it is also important to regularly review and practice your evacuation and to have a plan B in case your first route is inaccessible, blocked, or circumstances have changed."
The new maps provided in the tsunami pack were reviewed and updated in December 2021 to reflect new road developments, tsunami modelling, and infrastructure refinements.
The latest evacuation maps have been available on Tauranga City Council's website since they were updated in December 2021. Evacuation flyers were last delivered to households in 2017.
Paula says although the maps are available online, they are being sent to each household in the tsunami zone to encourage people to be prepared and make it easier to plan ahead.
"Take time to study the map and information provided regarding the warning signs and risks associated with tsunami. If the earthquake last longer than a minute, or if it is strong enough to knock you over, you need to get going immediately."
Other natural warning signs include the ocean making strange roaring noises or a sudden change in sea level.
The evacuation maps are based on a 14m tsunami, which is considered the maximum credible tsunami for the Bay of Plenty region and is the same size as the tsunami event that hit Japan in 2011. A magnitude 9+ earthquake along the Kermadec Trench in the Pacific Ocean would trigger a tsunami of this height, and this earthquake would be felt very strongly in Tauranga.
For tsunamis trigged by earthquakes further away and therefore not felt by the local community, we will have more time to get official warnings out to the community about the need to evacuate.
"These warnings can come through official channels like the Emergency Mobile Alerts that people will be familiar with on their mobile phones, or through television, radio, social media channels or apps like the Red Cross App.
"People will also receive informal messages from friends, whanau and neighbours. Having a plan that includes other people you might check up on in case of an evacuation is a great way the community can help each other," says Paula.
What is a maximum credible event?
A maximum credible event is a tsunami generated by the largest seismic event that is expected based on our current knowledge and understanding of earthquakes and plate tectonics.
