'They'Re Going To Arrive, Ready Or Not': Hill-Based Residents Capacity To Support The Evacuated After Earthquake And Tsunami

The city of Napier is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island and is vulnerable to earthquake and tsunami. In the event of a tsunami, people need to evacuate inland or to higher ground. Napier Hill is the only high ground in close proximity to Napier and up to 12,000 people would have to evacuate there within 20 minutes of a tsunami warning. This study worked with residents on Napier Hill to understand their willingness and capacity to support evacuees in such a scenario. Focus groups were held with a sample of residents in July 2019 and this was followed by a survey. Analysis showed that residents were generally happy to host evacuees and offer support if they could. However, individual support efforts would likely only be sufficient for the first few days. Long-term success in evacuee support would require strategic thinking and collaborative planning between emergency management agencies and local neighbourhood groups.