Hawke’s Bay people urged to sign up for ShakeOut

With a week to go until New Zealand’s national ShakeOut earthquake drill, everyone in Hawke’s Bay is being urged to sign up now.

Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group manager Ian Macdonald said ShakeOut is held across the world to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake and tsunami.

“Wherever you are at 1.30pm on 17 October, you can take part in the drill – just drop, cover and hold for up to one minute, and practice your tsunami hīkoi to your safe location if you live, work or play in a tsunami evacuation zone.”

So far, around 14,000 people in Hawke’s Bay have registered to do the ‘drop, cover and hold’ drill next Thursday.

Young people are leading the charge with around 1700 pre-schoolers, 8400 school kids and 1100 tertiary students registered.

Mr Macdonald said ShakeOut was the perfect opportunity for families, schools, businesses and individuals to practise what they need to do in an earthquake and tsunami.

“All of New Zealand is at risk of earthquakes and all of our coastline is at risk of tsunami.

“We can’t predict when one will happen, or where we will be, but we can protect ourselves and our families by practising what to do,” Mr Macdonald said.

“We know now more about ever before about seismic risks such as the Hikurangi subduction zone, the alpine fault and the Kermadec trench.

“ShakeOut will help make drop, cover, hold second nature, while giving us a chance to practise our tsunami hīkoi evacuation routes.”

 To register for ShakeOut, visit www.shakeout.govt.nz

10 October 2019

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