IAEM Oceania

Source: Manawatu Standard via Stuff.co.nz

The failure of a tsunami text alert system yesterday has seen Horizons Regional Council dump the warning service. About 400 people received a text nearly three hours after yesterday's tsunami was due to hit the region's shores. The warning text was delivered about 11.56: "Estimated wave East Cape and Mt Maunganui 1m-0922. Stay tuned to local media for more information." Horizons inherited the free text service last year when it took over Manawatu District Council's civil defence work, emergency services manager Shane Bayley said. Mr Bayley immediately cancelled the service run by OPTN after complaints came in about the glitch. "It's just not good enough."

It may be useful to refer to some reports and research undertaken last year as part of MCDEM's Tsunami Risk Management Programme. The CAENZ report contains a detailed review of different alerting technologies, and outlines some of the issues with SMS-based alerting.

Disclaimer: I was one of the authors and researchers involved in the CAENZ report.