Photo: Iliesa Tora
The National Emergency Management Agency is urging people to trust their sense of danger with signs of flooding and tsunami, instead of waiting for official warnings.
NEMA is starting a campaign to encourage people to look for warning signs and act immediately to keep themselves safe.
Director of civil defence emergency management John Price said localised flooding and local-source tsunami could develop in minutes.
"There may not be time for an official warning to be sent. That's why it's important to know what natural warning signs to look for and to take immediate action when you see them."
If floodwaters are rising around you, or there's a long or strong earthquake when you are near the coast, get to higher ground immediately, he said.
The campaign didn't diminish the importance of emergency mobile alerts, along with radio, social media, or local civil defence emergency management channels. "This is just another tool to have in your own back pocket to use," Price told Morning Report.
It can also free up first responders to help vulnerable people. "Often the authorities will alos be dealing with other incidents at the time because we quickly can become overwhelmed in New Zealand with some of these major events," Price said."
For more information see the NEMA website.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
