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On May 25, a tsunami evacuation drill will be held in Orewa that the whole community can get involved in.
The drill is designed to help residents get to grips with what they need to do should a tsunami hit Orewa Beach; it is a trial and will form the template for a project to be rolled out in communities throughout the Auckland region. It will also inform Civil Defence’s National Tsunami Exercise, which begins on August 31.
Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management director, John Dragicevich, says that the Orewa community, Rotary and Auckland Civil Defence are working together on the project, with the aim of increasing preparedness for tsunami in Orewa.
He says that the entire community will be invited to take part in the evacuation exercise.
As well as the drill, there will be public education and awareness initiatives, tsunami evacuation signs, and information about tsunami provided to schools, businesses, community organisations and residents.
Last July the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board Hazard Report was released, highlighting that Orewa Beach is one of the highest risk areas for tsunami in Auckland. This is because a tsunami would be funnelled through the area between Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island.
As more details about the evacuation drill emerge, they will be published in this paper.
The revelation that Orewa has been chosen for the trial evacuation drill comes as Civil Defence launches a draft plan designed to make Auckland more resilient to emergencies.
The draft was made public last month, and feedback is being sought from Auckland residents. In launching the draft plan, Civil Defence and Emergency Management committee chair, Councillor Sharon Stewart, described it as “a guide to get Auckland ready, prepared, responsive, engaged and able to recover well from disasters that could affect our city”.
Potential disasters include megastorms, floods and fires, as well as Zika-like pest infestations and pandemics.
“Recent Australian emergencies have shown that a city prepared for an emergency is a city where the residents and communities understand the need to help themselves until help arrives,” Cr Stewart says.
Mr Dragicevich says the draft plan aims to increase social resilience and the ability to cope with a disaster by improving communication channels, increasing the public’s awareness of risks and increasing individual preparedness.
“As a city, we have one of the best Civil Defence plans in the world and we are continuing to develop it, yet fewer than 10 percent of Aucklanders have developed their own emergency provisions,” he says.
The draft CDEM Group Plan is open for public consultation and residents can provide their feedback at shapeauckland.co.nz before April 18.
Tsunami Orewa – Ahead of the Wave [2MB PDF]
