Bay of Plenty Civil Defence has released new and simplified tsunami evacuation maps, but for Papamoa residents, there may be a catch to finding safety.
If an offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami, 100,000 people across the Bay of Plenty would need to evacuate, but which areas might be hit — and how hard — were unclear in the old evacuation maps.
Emergency Management Bay of Plenty (EMBOP) director Clinton Naude said a tsunami is a "big hazard" for the region, Papamoa specifically being a "pinch point".
"While some people might say the probability is low, the consequence is high," he told 1News.
New inundation maps have since been released, which have done away with red, orange and yellow zones and instead coloured all affected areas blue.
Blue areas are likely to face inundation, though the amount will be dependant on the size of the wave.
The affected zones have not changed in Mount Maunganui, however in Papamoa they have grown inland, past State Highway 2.
Areas coloured yellow in the old maps, indicating a smaller tsunami risk, mostly bordered SH2 near the beach town.
Now, land considered to be at risk has expanded past the expressway, and will be evacuated with the same immediacy as the coastline.
For many affected residents, this will mean crossing SH2 on foot to reach safety.
"It's better than facing a tsunami," Naude said, "and we expect further inland you go the safer you become."
Papamoa residents like Lisa Nalder are worried about having to navigate SH2 with two small children but said the new maps give a "blanket rule" for the community.
"If you're already in the yellow [zone] you might've though we might be okay," she said, "but now if it's just blue then it's a lot easier and straightforward and everyone will think about their plan to get out."
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