Long or strong quake the natural tsunami warning

Mokoia Wilson-Winterburn (left) Cedar Wairau and Tamati Tuhi, of Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust, practise their tsunami warning calls. Picture by Ben Ulisse, Wairoa Star

by Ben Ulisse, Wairoa Star

East Coasters should watch for tsunami warning signs, says Kate Boersen of Illuminate Science.

She was speaking at a presentation in Māhia last week on earthquake and tsunami risk from the Hikurangi Subduction Zone for the east coast of the North Island, from Bay of Plenty to Wellington.

Māhia was the second to last stop on East Coast LAB's Hikurangi M9 Roadshow, funded by Toka Tū Ake EQC and delivered by Illuminate Science.

“Don’t wait on official warnings to come,” said Ms Boersen, who is a community science coordinator.

"If an earthquake is long or strong, get gone!

"That means if an earthquake is longer than one minute OR so strong that it is difficult to stand, people should evacuate immediately to higher ground or inland without delay."

Another natural warning sign is the sea withdrawing. While this does not always happen before a tsunami, it is another natural warning sign that people should be aware of.

 “Even if services such as power and telecommunications are working after an earthquake, there will not be enough time for official warnings, so people must act on the natural warning signs.”

Ms Boersen shared the story of 10-year-old Tilly Smith who was holidaying with her family from the UK in Phuket at the time of the  2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

“Tilly saw the sea draw back and said, ‘Mummy, we need to get everyone off the beach!’ and they managed to save around 100 people.

“The warning signs were something she had learned about in class only a week earlier.”