Are we ready for Ruapehu’s next eruption?
Weston Kirton vividly remembers how flippantly people reacted to the last major eruptions of Ruapehu in 1995 and 1996.
The Ruapehu District Mayor recalls in disbelief on the podcast Tangiwai: A Forgotten History how some onlookers jumped on chairlifts to head up to get a closer view as the volcano spewed ash into the atmosphere.
In 2023 the attitude of the area has changed considerably to one of constant readiness — a mindset of “when” the next eruption occurs, not “if ”.
A new emergency services headquarters has been established in the Tongariro National Park to gather all relevant services in one location to monitor and respond to warnings triggered by the elaborate electronic monitoring system overseen by volcanologists.
“That’s something we’ve learned,” said Kirton. “You need something on the spot so you’re not affected by lack of access.”
He said when Mt Ruapehu erupted next any would- be social media influencers wouldn’t be given an option to get selfies with the volcanic action.
“There would be powers from authorities to get people off there. . . they won’t be mucking around.”
The threat of lahars occurring due to an eruption are also factored in. If caused by an eruption, a lahar from the crater lake would be about 1- 2m high. Dam- break lahars, such as the one caused by the Tangiwai disaster of 1953 and the 2007 lahar, occur separately to an eruption and can be as high as 6- 8 metres of water.
Regardless of size, a comprehensive safety process i s activated when a lahar occurs. This includes evacuating the area and allowing for the wall of water to flow under bridges that have been raised to accommodate a mix of rock and mud.
Tangiwai: A Forgotten History is available at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. The series was made with the support of NZ On Air. For video and photos, go to nzherald. co. nz/ tangiwai