Siren testing time again
Northland’s network of more than 200 outdoor tsunami sirens will be tested once again on Sunday week.
The sirens, from Te Hapua to Mangawhai, are checked twice a year, coinciding with the start and finish of daylight saving.
As usual they will be activated twice, for 10 minutes at 10am then for 30 seconds at 10.30am, and will be monitored for faults.
Indoor sirens, plug-in units that are available for purchase by those who live in tsunami evacuation zones but, for whatever reason, are unable to hear their nearest outdoor siren, will be tested at the same time, while test alerts will be sent to users of the Red Cross Hazard app, which can be downloaded at no cost.
Victoria Harwood, spokeswoman for the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group, said siren testing was an opportunity for Northland residents and visitors to find out if they live, work or play in a tsunami evacuation zone, and plan their evacuation route, by checking out Northland tsunami evacuation maps (at www.nrc.govt.nz/evacuationzones).
She urged people to make themselves aware of any risk of local source tsunami (those generated on or close to the coast), which could arrive ahead of any official warning.
“Everyone who spends time on the coast needs to know the natural warning signs of tsunami — a strong earthquake that is hard to stand up in or that lasts longer than a minute, or out-of-the ordinary sea behaviour, such as sudden rise or fall and/or unusual noise,” she added.
The sirens, indoor and out, can be heard at www.nrc.govt.nz/ tsunamisirens.