Alerts and warnings
Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) use alerts and warnings to tell people about emergencies.
Natural warnings
There won’t always be time for an official warning. It is important to recognise the natural warning signs and act quickly. Trust your danger sense, don’t wait for an official alert.
Learn more about natural warnings and what you can do at getready.govt.nz/danger-sense
Floods
Put safety first. Don’t take any chances. Act quickly if you see rising water.
Floods and flash floods can happen quickly. If you see rising water do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater.
Learn more about what to do during floods
Tsunami
For a local source tsunami, which could arrive in minutes, there won’t be time for an official warning. It is important to recognise the natural warning signs and act quickly.
Remember, Long or Strong, Get Gone.
Drop, Cover and Hold during the shaking. Protect yourself from the earthquake first.
As soon as the shaking stops, move immediately to the nearest high ground or as far inland as you can out of tsunami evacuation zones.
Learn more about what to do during a tsunami
Multi-channel approach
CDEM uses multiple channels to send warnings and alerts before and during emergencies.
No one channel will suit every situation or every person. Multiple channels make sure as many people as possible get the information they need. These channels include:
- radio,
- television,
- websites,
- social media,
- apps, and
- sirens.
Alerts and warnings can be sent both nationally and locally depending on the emergency.
National alerts and warnings
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) issues national warnings about natural hazards to:
- local CDEM Groups,
- central government authorities,
- local authorities,
- emergency services,
- lifeline utilities, and
- media broadcasters.
NEMA has a formal agreement with national broadcast media to issue these alerts.
National Warning System
The National Warning System is NEMA’s online tool used to issue hazard alerts and warnings. These alerts are then picked up by other agencies and relayed through a variety of channels.
Emergency Mobile Alert
Emergency Mobile Alerts are messages about emergencies. They are sent by authorised emergency agencies to capable mobile phones. The alerts keep people safe. They are broadcast to all capable phones from targeted cell towers.
Find out more about Emergency Mobile Alert.
Local alerts and warnings channels
Local CDEM Groups are collections of councils and territorial authorities. They are responsible for civil defence emergency management in their area.
CDEM Groups relay national alerts and warnings to their own communities via local warning systems. They can also issue alerts about local threats (like floods).
When planning their warning systems, CDEM Groups take into account specific local circumstances. These might be to do with the geography or community needs. CDEM Groups make their own decisions on what channels to use.
Tsunami monitoring and detection network
In 2019, the New Zealand Government deployed a Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoys. This DART network improved New Zealand’s ability to monitor, detect and issue warnings about tsunami.
Learn about New Zealand’s tsunami monitoring and detection network.