• Question: how likely is it to survive a tsunami

    Asked by ryas536dows52 to Vanessa, Stuart Dunning, Sam G, Oli B, Oenone C, NikiAlsford, Alex C on 9 Dec 2025.
    • Photo: Vanessa Pilley

      Vanessa Pilley answered on 9 Dec 2025:

      Thats a tricky question to answer generically as it depends on so many factors. Generally, the further away from the coast and the higher the ground you’re on, equals the best chance

    • Photo: Alex Cartwright

      Alex Cartwright answered on 9 Dec 2025: last edited 9 Dec 2025 20:43

      A very tricky question to answer. The key things it depends on:
      – how far away the tsunami is coming from (warning time).
      – how far from the coast you can get on higher ground (evacuation).
      – who you are (your ability to move).

      In New Zealand we use the saying: “if it’s long and strong, get gone”.

      Local source tsunamis (such as from earthquakes close to our shore) can create tsunamis with limited time for an official warning. So if there is a long earthquake (over a minute in length) that is strong (hard to stand up), you need to get away from the coastline.

      If it is a distant tsunami, such as one from South America – scientists working with emergency managers can assess the impacts and then issue an official warning for people to move away from the coast to higher ground.

    • Photo: Oenone Chadburn

      Oenone Chadburn answered on 11 Dec 2025:

      Great question – and the answer is it depends! It depends on whether you have been taught to know the warning signs and what actions to take when you know a Tsunami is coming.

      Early warnings, and knowing what to do with them, is everyone’s business! Its the government’s business to make it a legal requirement to ensure all appropriate authorities protect the populations – especially those who are most vulnerable such as people with disabilities, or older people.

      Then, it is the local goverment and central government responsibility to a) agree what early warnings are the most effective and b) provide resources for the training and development of the processes to give the early warning (e.g. use off sirens to give a warning).

      Then it is the role of local government, and emergency services to make sure that people are conistently connected to the right scientists and technical services to recieve the information to know when to set off a siren, and that the sirens are places in the most important places to be heard.

      Then it is the role of community groups and emergency services to teach local populations what to do when the siren goes off. PLUS how to take care of those who may find it hard to move quickly.

      Finally, it is then the responsibility of the individual to hear and ACT on the siren!

      And that’s why it is everyone’s business to survive a tsunami 🙂

    • Photo: Niki Alsford

      Niki Alsford answered on 12 Dec 2025:

      Survival in a tsunami is most likely when people recognise natural warning signs—such as the sea suddenly retreating—and immediately move to higher ground, as shown by traditional knowledge systems that have protected coastal communities for generations.

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