Whitianga tsunami open day inundated with residents

The tsunami open day held at the town hall over Auckland Anniversary weekend saw large waves of people coming through to learn about tsunami and potential threat to Whitianga.

Around 250 people came to the open day to talk directly with the tsunami scientists, hazard specialists and emergency managers that have worked on the community response plan project.

"New tsunami modelling work has been completed to better understand the potential impacts of a tsunami on Mercury Bay," says Rick Liefting, Waikato Regional Council's Regional Hazards and Environmental Compliance team leader.

"The modelling work uses the latest mapping tools and tsunami computer models to determine where sea inundation is likely to occur from various sources of tsunami," he says.

The modelling work has confirmed that Whitianga has a greater threat from tsunami than other areas of the Coromandel due to the shape of Mercury Bay, which amplifies the tsunami waves. Significant tsunami inundation in Whitianga will come from earthquakes occurring along the Tonga-Kermadec Trench just off East Cape.

One of the biggest concerns locals have is with alerting and evacuation. Community Response Plans have been developed to ensure there are measures in place to help the communities look after themselves. When a natural disaster hits, communities may need to take care of themselves for up to three days before help can arrive.

An open day for Cooks Beach is in the planning stages and dates will be confirmed soon.

To find out more about the Community Response Plans and Community Guide to Emergencies Brochures (including tsunami zone map for your area) see our website www.tcdc.govt.nz/tsunami

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