Preparing for Tsunami

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How will I know if a tsunami is coming?

A tsunami could come from a local source, or from a large earthquake centred thousands of kilometres away. A nearby coastal seafloor earthquake is the only warning people may get before a tsunami arrives. Such a tsunami can arrive within minutes - before there is time to issue a warning. Distant earthquakes give more warning time.

The advice is, if you are near the coast and experience an earthquake that is LONG or STRONG then evacuate immediately to higher ground – don’t wait for official warnings. LONG means shaking longer than a minute. STRONG means a quake where the shaking makes it hard to stand up.

How to prepare for tsunami

Find out if your home, school, or workplace is within a tsunami evacuation zone. Go to https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/get-ready/get-tsunami-ready/tsunami-eva...

There’s plenty you can do to prepare yourself for a possible tsunami:

1. Know and practise your routes to safety. If you’re in an evacuation zone you should work out your best and quickest routes to safety from home, school and work - either far enough inland or to higher ground.

• Where do you need to go? Look at your evacuation maps and identify places which are out of the tsunami zones. Tsunami activity can last for up to 24 hours, so think about where you could stay or take shelter if needed.
• What are your routes? Some routes might be faster, while some routes might be safer because they have fewer dangers (e.g. avoid bridges, bottle-necks, falling debris). Consider these factors when planning your evacuation routes from your home, school and work.
• How long does it take? Time yourself and see how long it takes you to get to safety. You should factor in how long it takes you to leave your home and look at how you do this as quickly as possible.
• What do you need to take? Keep essential supplies near the door. Have an emergency grab bag, as well as some comfortable shoes and warm/waterproof clothes ready to take with you. This will help save time if you and others in your household need to leave quickly.
• Who else needs to know? Get your household, workplace and maybe some of your neighbours involved. Make sure everyone knows the routes and the meeting point, in case you can't communicate.

2. Make a household emergency plan. In an emergency, such as an earthquake, having some basic plans in place will keep you safer, let you connect with your loved ones faster and protect some of your most important assets. Completing a few easy steps will give you much greater peace of mind and ensure that your life is less disrupted.

When it comes time for you to one day buy a home, hopefully you’ll consider whether that home is in an area that might be affected by a tsunami!

You can read more about making a plan on the Get Ready website.

What should I do if there’s an earthquake?

A “near-source” tsunami will likely be preceded by earthquake shaking. In the event of an earthquake, it’s important to DROP, COVER & HOLD to keep yourself as safe as possible.

The DROP, COVER HOLD action stops you being knocked over, makes you a smaller target for falling and flying objects and protects your head, neck and vital organs.

Here’s how to do it:

DROP down on your hands and knees. This protects you from falling but lets you move if you need to.

COVER your head and neck (or your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk (if it is within a few steps of you). If there is no shelter nearby, then cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.

HOLD on to your shelter (or your position to protect your head and neck) until the shaking stops. If the shaking shifts your shelter around, move with it. If there is no shelter near you crawl to an inside corner of the room and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.

Many people are injured while trying to move DURING the shaking. It is safer to Drop, Cover, and Hold until the shaking is over.

What should I do if there’s an earthquake and I’m near the coast?

If you feel an earthquake that makes it hard to stand or lasts more than a minute – move immediately to higher ground or as far inland as possible. That means if the earthquake is LONG OR STRONG, GET GONE! In addition to a strong earthquake, you should also move immediately to higher ground or as far inland as possible if you are at the coast and experience any of the following:

• See a sudden rise or fall in sea level
• Hear loud and unusual noises from the sea

Move immediately to the nearest high ground, or as far inland as you can. Walk or bike if possible.

Complete the Preparing for Tsunami quiz >

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