Tsunami watch boosted
When a big earthquake strikes that could pose a tsunami risk to New Zealand, a special panel of tsunami experts convenes at short notice any time of day or night to help assess the threat.
Geonet duty officer Bill Fry said officers convened the tsunami emergency panel if there was a ‘‘credible threat’’ and it was ‘‘remotely possible’’ there would be a tsunami.
The Government announced late last month it would add up to $3 million initial funding to develop and enhance Geonet’s natural hazards monitoring capability and response service.
The announcement followed concerns from residents of Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Southland about mixed messages for tsunami risk and evacuation after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on November 14.
If there is a ‘‘big event’’ in the middle of the night, the first meeting of the TEP might be a ‘‘virtual conference’’ and then another meeting will be convened at the Geonet office, Fry said.
Fry had chaired a number of these panels which typically involved about eight to 10 specialists held at the Geonet centre and with people phoning in.
Although the panel convenes to provide a detailed assessment of tsunami risks, Fry stressed that Civil Defence was not relying on the TEP to provide essential information on tsunami warnings.
In Wellington, Breaker Bay and Moa Point Progressive Association member Al Jenkins said he waited 55 minutes for the official tsunami warning on November 14 before door knocking his neighbours to inform them of the evacuation alert.
He said residents felt the shaking differently and were not all stirred to action by the recent earthquake. He said the confusion around the warnings made him lose faith in the system and an automated warning would make people living on the bays feel at ease.
Civil Defence worked with GNS and the tsunami experts panel to assess tsunami warnings after a significant earthquake, but people near the coast experiencing a long strong earthquake should not wait for an official warning to evacuate, Civil Defence director Sarah Stuart-black said.
She said there were also thresholds at which a tsunami warning or potential threat notification would be issued immediately, although the panel would still convene to assess the situation.
- Fairfax NZ