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Tsunami zones
If you feel an earthquake long and strong, get gone – don’t wait for official warnings!
This means you must immediately evacuate all tsunami evacuation zones if there’s an earthquake that:
- lasts for a minute or longer
- it's so strong you can’t stand during the quake.
Kāpiti tsunami evacuation zones | Zone maps | Tsunami assembly areas
Kāpiti tsunami evacuation zones
It's vital for everyone in Kāpiti to know if they live, work or play in a tsunami evacuation zone. Kāpiti has three evacuation zones: red, orange and yellow.
If there's a long or strong earthquake, evacuate all zones immediately without waiting for official warnings.
If you’re not in an evacuation zone and there's a long or strong earthquake, stay put. This will help people who are in the zones evacuate quickly.
Knowing your zone is important when there’s time for official warnings, too – it's possible that for regional- and distant-source tsunami some zones won't be evacuated.
Red zone
The red zone in Kāpiti is the beach and sand dunes. This is the highest risk area and the first place people should evacuate from if there’s any tsunami risk.
Orange zone
The orange zone is the dune area by the beach, and the nearby streets. It is likely to be evacuated during official warnings and evacuations.
Yellow zone
The yellow zone runs 200 to 300 metres inland from the beach, and includes low-lying areas close to rivers. The highest risk for this zone is from a local-source tsunami generated by a long or strong earthquake.
Zone maps
From time to time, tsunami evacuation maps are updated with the latest scientific information. It's important to check regularly to make sure your zone hasn't changed. If maps are updated, we'll push out information to let everyone know.
You can type your address in the tsunami evacuation zone finder to check if you might need to evacuate.
- you’re living in a zone if your property shows up red, orange or yellow
- zoom out to see if there’s a zone close by, as you might be living near one.
- go to Get prepared.
The maps below give details for specific zones and areas:
- Tsunami evacuation zones – Ōtaki
- Tsunami evacuation zones – Te Horo to Peka Peka
- Tsunami evacuation zones – Waikanae
- Tsunami evacuation zones – Paraparaumu to Raumati
- Tsunami evacuation zones – Raumati South
- Tsunami evacuation zones – Paekākāriki
- Tsunami evacuation zones – overview
Remember, if there is a long or strong earthquake, evacuate all zones immediately. Do not wait for official warnings, as a tsunami might be only minutes away.
If there are official warnings over the radio or other channels, pay attention to what colour zones are being evacuated. For more information about different types of tsunami and tsunami warnings, see Civil Defence's Tsunami page.
Tsunami assembly areas
Tsunami assembly areas are large open spaces where people can immediately gather outside of the tsunami evacuation zones. It's important to note that there won't be welfare facilities available.
Ōtaki: |
Ōtaki Domain Haruātai Park |
Te Horo:
|
Te Horo Community Hall, School Road |
Waikanae: |
Waikanae Park |
Paraparaumu:
|
Mazengarb Reserve Southwards, Otaihanga Road Paraparaumu Domain Kāpiti Primary School, Rimu Road |
Raumati South: |
Raumati South Primary School, 54A Matai Road |
Paekākāriki: |
Paekākāriki Primary School, Wellington Road |