Monday, 20 April 2026
Head’s Up - We have updated the Tsunami Evacuation Zone maps in our region!
Aotearoa’s entire coastline is at risk to tsunami. One way you can help prepare for a tsunami event is by checking whether you live, work, or spend time in a tsunami evacuation zone.
We’ve been working closely with our scientific partners from Earth Sciences New Zealand to provide the best available tsunami modelling and data. This allows us to work with local councils across the rohe (region) to create tsunami evacuation zones for communities. Now we’re able to update our maps with the latest and best available modelling and data.
Please familiarise yourself with the updated tsunami evacuation maps as some zone boundaries have changed. It’s important to check what zone you’re in and know where to go in a tsunami.
We’re currently in the process of replacing the physical tsunami map boards around the rohe with the updated versions, but you can find digital versions of these maps here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are you updating the maps in the first place?
You may remember a few years ago, we made our tsunami evacuation zone maps blue, to make it easier for you to know where to go in the event of a tsunami.
We’ve been working closely with our scientific partners from Earth Sciences New Zealand to provide the best available tsunami modelling and data. This allows us to work with local councils across the rohe (region) to create tsunami evacuation zones for communities.
Now we’re able to update our maps with the latest and best available modelling and data.
Why have you changed some zone boundaries and not others?
We’ve been working closely with our scientific partners from Earth Sciences New Zealand to provide the best available tsunami modelling and data. This allows us to work with local councils across the rohe (region) to create tsunami evacuation zones for communities.
Now we’re able to update our maps with the latest and best available modelling and data.
Some areas have changed quite a bit while in other areas the zone has only had some minor changes.
Evacuation zones consider a range of aspects including data from recent tsunami modelling. Tsunami modelling was conducted using the latest technology and available data for the region, to ensure we have the most up-to-date information.
As well as tsunami modelling, evacuation zones also consider other aspects such as evacuation constraints, practicalities and safety, roading, population density and social factors.
Does every part of the Bay of Plenty have tsunami evacuation maps and signs?
Only those parts of the region where there are coastal communities have tsunami evacuation maps, so there are no maps produced for Kawerau or Rotorua Lakes. There are also no maps for inland suburbs, for example Ohauiti.
Tsunami sign boards are found where there are lots of people living near the water or where lots of people visit the coast. These are especially helpful to visitors from out of region who may not know about the tsunami risk.
All existing tsunami maps and signs will be refreshed in the regional maps update. If there is a sign near you that has not yet been updated, don’t worry- there are more than 150 boards across the region, so it will take a few weeks to update them all.
Some parts of the coast do not have tsunami evacuation sign boards, but there may still be a tsunami risk. That’s why it’s important for everyone who lives, works or plays near the coast to check to see if they are in a tsunami evacuation zone.
TSUNAMI EVACUATION ZONE FAQ’S
I live/play/work in a tsunami evacuation zone - what does that mean?
If you spend time in a blue evacuation zone, you need to know where you will go if you need to evacuate. Plan evacuation routes from your whare/home, farm, kura/school, wāhi mahi/workplace, or any other place you frequently go, that is in a tsunami evacuation zone. Find out where your closest tsunami safe location is, and practice how you will get there.
Plan for what to do if a tsunami happens. If you have to evacuate, walk, run or cycle, if you can. This reduces the chances of getting stuck due to damaged roads or traffic congestion. Lots of cars on the road can also slow down emergency services response times.
Remember that if you do need to evacuate, you may need to stay in your tsunami safe location for a while. That’s why it’s important to have a grab bag packed full of essentials like water, snacks, protection from the weather (sun/cold) and medications, so it’s ready to go when you need it.
My child’s school is in a tsunami evacuation zone - what does that mean?
Please don’t head into a tsunami evacuation zone to collect children from school. There are three important reasons why:
Schools all have their own emergency evacuation plans which they practice and prepare for, including tsunami. Teachers will take students to a planned safe location.
It is dangerous to travel into a tsunami evacuation zone. It puts yourself and others at risk.
You will contribute to traffic congestion which makes it harder for those who actually need to evacuate out of a tsunami evacuation zone.
If your child’s school is in a tsunami evacuation zone, ask the school what the evacuation plan is. If you are safe at home, stay home. If you have evacuated to a tsunami safe location, stay there until the all-clear is given.
I don’t live/play/work in a tsunami evacuation zone - what does that mean?
You don’t need to evacuate in a long or strong quake if you are not in a tsunami evacuation zone. If you are safe where you are, staying put helps reduce traffic congestion for others who may need to evacuate out of tsunami evacuation zones. If you have friends or family in an evacuation zone, you may be able to help them if they need a place to stay until it is safe to return.
What does the ‘blue zone’ mean?
Blue Means Go! If you feel an earthquake that is long or strong (longer than a minute or strong enough to knock you off your feet), and you are in a tsunami evacuation zone (the blue zone), move immediately inland or to high ground as fast as possible. Don’t wait for official warnings.
GENERAL TSUNAMI FAQ’S
What should I do in the event of a tsunami?
If an earthquake is long or strong, get gone. Move immediately to the nearest high ground or as far inland as you can out of tsunami evacuation zones.
Walk, run, or cycle if you can. This reduces the chances of getting stuck due to damaged roads or traffic congestion.
Do not return until an official all-clear message is given by Civil Defence Emergency Management. Tsunami activity will continue for several hours and the first wave may not be the largest.
Will I be alerted from Civil Defence Emergency Management if a tsunami is on the way?
For a local-source tsunami which can arrive in minutes, there is not enough time for an official warning to be issued. It is important to recognise the natural warning signs and act quickly.
Remember, Long or Strong, Get Gone. If you are near the coast and experience any of the following:
Feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand up, or a weak rolling earthquake that lasts a minute or more.
See a sudden rise or fall in water level.
Hear loud and unusual noises from the water.
What is the risk of tsunami in the Bay of Plenty?
All of Aotearoa is vulnerable to tsunami because of its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the highly active tectonic plate boundary which encircles the Pacific Ocean.
Whilst a tsunami event is less likely to occur compared to other hazards such as severe weather and flooding, a tsunami in the Bay of Plenty could lead to extensive impacts, especially due to the region’s population living in coastal areas. Tsunami poses a serious risk to life, safety, and the environment, which is why we take tsunami preparedness seriously.
Here in the Bay of Plenty, we face a range of potential tsunami sources - from within our own bay, from nearby plate boundaries such as the Hikurangi Subduction Zone and Kermadec Trench, and from distant parts of the Pacific Ocean. For a local-source tsunami, waves could reach the coastline within minutes, so there may not be enough time for an official warning. It is important to recognise the natural warning signs and act quickly. If an earthquake is long or strong, get gone.
What happens after I evacuate?
Once you have reached a safe place, you may need to stay there for a while. That is why we advise you take a grab bag with essentials to get you through the waiting time - things like snacks, water, something to protect you from the weather (rain cold or sun) and medicines.
If there is damage and you can’t return home, we will set up emergency shelter locations (also known as Civil Defence Centres). If it is safe to go back, we will let you know as soon as we can.
Both these things take time, so it is important to think about how you can look after yourself and your whānau while things are being assessed and organised.
Where can I get more information about tsunami, how to prepare, and what I should take with me if I have to evacuate?
For more information about tsunami in New Zealand, go to: Tsunami in New Zealand - Earth Sciences New Zealand | GNS Science | Te Pῡ Ao
For more information about tsunami preparedness in general, go to: Tsunami — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand
For more information on what you should take with you if you have to evacuate, go to: Work out what supplies you need — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand
You haven’t answered my question, who can I contact?
You can get in touch with your city or district council for more information about tsunami readiness for your local community.