Tsunamis and the Kāpiti Coast

The Kāpiti Coast is considered to have a very low level of risk from a damaging or catastrophic tsunami.

In preparation for the unlikely event of a tsunami, the Council advises all residents living within two kilometres of the coast to prepare a simple family plan to evacuate either inland or to higher ground.

Tsunami

Tsunamis are long, deep, fast travelling ocean waves propagated by a displacement of water caused by earthquakes, landslides or volcanic eruptions beneath or near the ocean.

The risk of a tsunami on the Kapiti Coast

The Kapiti Coast has the lowest tsunami risk in the Wellington Region of a major or catastrophic tsunami.  The risk is a 500 year event with a wave height of 2.5 – 3 metres

How much warning will you have?

Tsunami can be generated locally (local source) e.g. Cook Strait or generated at remote locations (distant source) e.g. Solomon Islands, South American coast.

Local source (less than one hour)

• Little warning, may arrive on shore within minutes
• Generally larger in size and has potential for severe impact

Distant source (over three hours travel time)

• Provides warning time for evacuations
• Generally smaller size and lesser impact

A tsunami warning

The ways you will know that a tsunami has been generated will be by:
• The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management issuing a warning over radio and television
• Repeated over local radio stations by the Kāpiti Coast District Council and supplemented by Police and NZ Fire Service vehicles and Council vehicles using public address systems to clear the beaches and streets within the vicinity of these beaches.
• If you are at the beach and you feel a strong earthquake, see the sea receding away from the shore or making a roaring sound, move to higher ground immediately. 
• It should be safe to return after one hour
• Be aware that there will be a number of waves and the 3rd - 4th waves are often the highest

If you live or intend to live at the Beach - what you should do to prepare?

• Develop a Household Emergency Plan and prepare an Emergency Survival Kit that will help you cope with being on you own for three days or more (including companion animals)
• Have an evacuation route
• Take heed of all  warnings
• If you are buying land or a building in a coastal area, talk to the Council on the risks of a tsunami, coastal storm surge and erosion.

After a tsunami

• Don’t go sightseeing
• Don’t go down to the sea or return to your property until you have been told it is safe to do so.