GNS Science and University of Canterbury researchers are seeking to better understand how the community responded to triple earthquake and tsunami evacuation warnings on a single day.

On March 5, 2021, an unprecedented series of three earthquakes off the east coast of the North Island, and further north in the Kermadec Islands, sent tsunami waves to our shores.

Coastal communities selected from Northland to Christchurch – those who felt the earthquakes or were asked to evacuate from tsunami evacuation zones – have been sent a survey that asks about their immediate responses, evacuation decisions, and hazard awareness before March 5, 2021, ‘tsunami day'.

A mail-drop public survey went out to Bay of Plenty locals in Papamoa, Coastlands, and Ōpōtiki last month.

'This research will provide key insights into the range of evacuation behaviours that occurred up and down the country during this complex sequence of earthquakes and tsunami warnings,” says University of Canterbury co-lead researcher, Senior Lecturer in Disaster Risk and Resilience Dr Sarah Beaven.

'Learning more about the way this response unfolded at community level will be of considerable interest internationally. It has been exciting to be part of such a broad national collaboration, partnering with the practitioners who hope to use the knowledge provided by coastal communities to inform tsunami evacuation planning for future events.”

The survey was developed with the New Zealand Tsunami Research Group (TsuRGe), which includes scientists from research institutions throughout the country.

The research group has partnered with regional Civil Defence Emergency Management groups to design and deliver the survey and then assess the responses to aid future planning.

The survey will be available online nationally in a few weeks, to capture further insights.

The research will contribute to the growth of tsunami risk management in Aotearoa New Zealand at local, regional and national levels.

'This research is key to finding out how well people in New Zealand respond and evacuate when given a real tsunami warning,” says GNS Science project co-lead, Principal Scientist Dr Graham Leonard.

'It's crucial we gain feedback from real-life events like March 5, 2021, to help inform future tsunami response and evacuations, especially as we know that all New Zealand's coastline is at risk of tsunamis.”