19/08/2026 - Hawke's Bay tsunami evacuation zone updated for the Napier and Hastings coastline.

Hawke's Bay Emergency Management (HBEM) has refined the tsunami evacuation zone for the coastline between Tangoio and Clifton. This update changes how the zone is mapped; it does not change the underlying tsunami risk for Hawke's Bay.  

HBEM applied a refined methodology that aligns with the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) Tsunami Evacuation Director’s Guidelines for Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups (DGL 08/25) and applies a consistent approach across the Hawke's Bay region.  

As a result, some areas previously within the evacuation zone in both Napier and Hastings have now been removed.

The evacuation zone covers all areas modelled as being at risk of inundation in a maximum credible tsunami scenario, an event with a 1-in-2,500 annual chance of occurring (0.04% Annual Exceedance Probability).  

Some residents who remain within the evacuation zone may change their evacuation route because of the updated boundary.   

Shane Briggs, Director, Hawke’s Bay Emergency Management, says the update reflects the available inundation modelling and a more consistent approach to mapping the zone across the region.  

“This update doesn’t change the underlying tsunami risk for Hawke’s Bay; it changes how we communicate that risk to our communities. Some properties are now outside the evacuation zone because the refined approach shows they aren’t expected to be inundated, even in our maximum credible scenario,” Briggs says.  

“But it remains critical that everyone in Hawke’s Bay, especially those living, working or visiting the coast, understands the evacuation zone and knows what to do if they feel a long or strong earthquake.”  

Briggs reiterates the key tsunami advice:  

“If it’s long or strong, get gone. If an earthquake lasts longer than a minute, or makes it hard to stand up, move immediately to high ground or as far inland as possible without waiting for an official warning. Keep moving once clear of the evacuation zone, to leave room for others behind you.”  

This update is limited to how the evacuation zone is mapped and does not replace or pre-empt any future reassessment of tsunami probability or risk for Hawke’s Bay. 

The updated zone is being published simultaneously on the HBEM and NEMA tsunami evacuation zone maps.  

HBEM encourages anyone who lives, works, or spends time in coastal areas to check the updated evacuation zone at www.hbemergency.govt.nz/hazards/tsunami/

Notes.

• The updated evacuation zone applies to the coastal areas of Napier and Hastings covered by the inundation modelling in the Level 3 Tsunami Modelling in Hawke's Bay Final Report (GNS Science, 2022).

• This is a change to how the evacuation zone is mapped and defined. It is not a change to the underlying tsunami inundation data.

• Tsunami inundation models for Hawke's Bay are available on the Hawke's Bay Hazard Portal: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f39da961a3e84cc5bc237ff4c3fddeb8/  

• The updated zone can also be viewed on the standalone geospatial viewer: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/497dd1ed299f4548bfb317ba9d30fcec/     

• Further information on Hawke's Bay's tsunami risk, the updated evacuation zone, and recommended actions before, during, and after a tsunami are available at www.hbemergency.govt.nz/hazards/tsunami/

19 August 2026

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