More than 3,000 people took part in the Orewa Tsunami walk last week. It was organised by Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) team and was held to increase community preparedness in Orewa.
Schools taking part in the drill included Orewa College, Orewa Primary and Orewa North Primary. Media students from Orewa College took over Auckland Civil Defence’s social media channels. Their live stream on Facebook – facebook.com/aklcdem – attracted more than 2,800 views in 24 hours.
“We definitely raised awareness of the issue with so many people walking their evacuation route. I hope this encourages others who perhaps couldn’t take part on the day to identify and walk their nearest tsunami evacuation route,” says Councillor Sharon Stewart.
The key partners were Orewa Rotary and the CHIP IN foundation, local Police and Fire and Rescue teams, Orewa Surf Lifesaving Club, Orewa Business Association and Greater Orewa Community Response Group.
|
Top tips for tsunami evacuation: 1. Be prepared - identify and practice walking your quickest evacuation route in advance 2. Evacuate if: o You feel an earthquake that’s long (minute or more) or strong (hard to stand up in) o You see strange sea behaviour(e.g. unusual fall or rise in sea level) or hear strange noises (e.g. roaring like a jet plane) 3. Walk or cycle your nearest evacuation route 4. Drive only if you need to – so emergency services and vulnerable people can use roads 5. Stay away until the official all-clear has been given |
For more information on Auckland Civil Defence visit aucklandcivildefence.co.nz or for easy tips on how to be more prepared for emergencies see getthru.govt.nz
