New tsunami information boards for Whangarei coast

Whangarei boaties and beachgoers can now boost their tsunami readiness using new information boards at popular district beaches and seaside locations.

Thirty-eight new tsunami information boards have this Autumn been added to an initial nine trialled on the district’s coast since June last year.

“More people than ever are now using the coast. We want to help coastal users - including locals, beachgoers, boaties and visitors - to be even better prepared,” says Victoria Harwood, Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Officer, Whangarei district.

“We had a positive response to our initial tsunami information boards trial and worked with local communities to put more in place,” Mrs Harwood says.

The new Whangarei District Council-funded tsunami information boards have been put up from Bland Bay in the north to Langs Beach in the south, taking the total number of boards in the district to 47.

“These large information boards add to a suite of already-available tsunami notification and education options,” Mrs Harwood says.

Each of the boards has been erected in a local coastal tsunami evacuation zone which features prominently as an individualised colour-coded map on the signage - along with clearly marked safe areas outside the zone that are safe for people to head to if a tsunami is coming.

“People reading the signs need to make sure they’re aware of being in a local tsunami evacuation zone and importantly, where to go to if needing to get to safety fast,” Mrs Harwood says.

“Go to the maps, work out which spot in the safe zone you’ll go to and how to get there,” Mrs Harwood says.

The locally-made boards also contain important information about simple ways to find out about tsunami warnings. These include natural warning signs such as

out-of-the-ordinary sea behaviour plus tsunami sirens, smartphone alerts, social media, family and friends.

ENDS

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