Study on tsunami risk

New tsunami mapping for Poverty Bay and Wainui from the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS Science) will inform future management of hazards in the region.

The study is also one of the first known in New Zealand to quantify and spatially map life safety risk from local tsunami.

“The risk to people throughout most of the city is relatively low,” says strategic planning manager David Wilson.

“Tsunamis can’t be prevented, but deaths and injuries can be minimised and damaged lessened through appropriate land use and other protective measures such as maintaining or re-establishing dunes and building design.”

The new mapping shows the different likelihoods of tsunami and maximum flow depths.

“The south eastern corner of the city, around the lower ends of Customhouse and Grey Street, as well as the Port, would be at the greatest risk of flooding from a 1 in 500 year average return interval tsunami.”

Mr Wilson says while the chance of this happening in any one year is low, over a 50 year period there is a 10% probability of a tsunami of this depth.

These studies are part of series of new hazard research including liquefaction and coastal erosion.

“The reports will help us review how the risk from natural hazards is managed in the region through building regulations, the Resource Management Act and other methods.”

These studies can be found on Council’s website www.gdc.govt.nz .

ENDS

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