Wairarapa MP and Minister of Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty is urging people to be emergency ready this summer.
McAnulty said emergencies could happen anytime and anywhere, so it was a good idea to be ready.
“Before heading away, there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re prepared for an emergency.
“Start by finding out about local hazards in the region you’re visiting, pack emergency grab bags for everyone in your family, and check your tsunami evacuation zone.”
McAnulty said the nation’s entire coastline was at risk of tsunami, which meant many people would be visiting places that were at risk this summer.
The message from McAnulty came after The National Emergency Management Agency [Nema] accidentally sent out a tsunami warning for Castlepoint on Friday.
Nema redacted the warning 20 minutes later and said it “was issued in error”.
McAnulty said whenever people headed to the beach, they needed to be tsunami ready as well as sun smart.
“If you’re near the coast, remember, if an earthquake is long or strong, get gone – don’t wait for official warnings.”
He said people could check the National Emergency Management Agency’s tsunami evacuation map, to find out where to go if they needed to evacuate.
McAnulty said it was important to stay informed by checking local radio frequencies, knowing where to get local civil defence information, and remembering that some places will not have mobile coverage.
“It’s also a good idea to check any fire bans that might be in place in the areas you are visiting.
“There is never a better time than now to prepare and update your plan to keep you and your whanau safe over the summer period.”
