From today, 8 April 2026, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has replaced the previous National Warning: Tsunami Threat to Land and Marine Areas message with two separate messages and updated the content of the associated Emergency Mobile Alerts (EMA).

Changes to National Warning System Messages:

NEMA issues a National Warning: Tsunami Threat to Land and Marine Areas via the National Warning System (NWS) when a tsunami threat is imminent or likely and a threat of coastal inundation to land areas near the shore exists.

In a regional source event (South-West Pacific, 1-3 hours tsunami travel time) NEMA will now issue National Warning: Tsunami Threat to Land and Marine Areas – immediate evacuation required message.

In a distant source event (Wider Pacific, >3 hours tsunami travel time) NEMA will now issue the National Warning: Tsunami Threat to Land and Marine Areas – prepare to evacuate message.

This change has been made to provide the public with better guidance about the life-safety actions they need to take during a tsunami threat to land areas. It also ensures the NWS message is consistent with and reinforces the messages that will be issued via EMA. This should reduce confusion and the risk of people delaying or not taking critical life safety actions during a tsunami threat to land areas.

Changes to Emergency Mobile Alerts

NEMA previously issued short EMA messages (under 90 characters) for tsunami threats to land and marine areas. The short EMA messages were used as some handsets experienced issues receiving longer alerts when the EMA system was first rolled out. Over time, as people have replaced their handsets, these issues have lessened. As such, NEMA will now issue longer EMA messages that provide more information about the threat and what people should do.

In a regional source event (South-West Pacific, 1-3 hours tsunami travel time) NEMA will now issue Evacuate Immediately EMA.

In a distant source event (Wider Pacific, >3 hours tsunami travel time) NEMA will now issue  Prepare to Evacuate EMA.

This update to NEMA’s messages for tsunami threats to land and marine areas does not change the national procedures set out in the National Tsunami Advisory and Warning Plan [SP 01/20].

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