The emergency warning system that left many in Hawke’s Bay “feeling abandoned” and “let down” during Cyclone Gabrielle needs urgent improvement, an inquiry has found.
Findings from the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events were released on Tuesday.
The report highlighted shortcomings and lessons that need to be learned from the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle, the Auckland floods, and Cyclone Hale.
“We heard repeatedly from people in affected areas that they felt let down by the response,” the report, released by Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell, read.
“People we talked to had expected their councils and emergency services to respond quickly to provide resources, share clear information and warnings, and lead rescue efforts.
“In many cases, these actions were not visible at the community level, or took a long time to arrive. This left people feeling abandoned.”
Emergency warning system
The inquiry found flaws in the emergency warning system used in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, which was hampered by power and telecommunication outages.
Some residents did not receive a Civil Defence warning to evacuate until it was far too late – including cases in Esk Valley and Pakowhai in Hawke’s Bay where residents received a mobile alert while on the roof or huddled in their ceiling.
“In Hawke’s Bay, a lack of public warning systems and public notifications, including evacuation alerts, significantly impacted communities,” the report read.
“The sense that warnings were insufficient has undermined public confidence in councils, weather forecasting, and the wider emergency management system.
“A comprehensive warning system is needed that is flexible enough to cover most, if not all, natural hazards, with a consistent approach across the country.
“There needs to be a range of channels for sharing warnings, including well-tested manual systems to use if communications are down.”
The inquiry noted the majority of submitters who did receive a warning or evacuation notice received a Civil Defence emergency alert through text.
The Inquiry heard about the challenges faced by the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group when making decisions and communicating warnings amid the scale and speed of Cyclone Gabrielle.
“In Hawke’s Bay, the forecast rainfall for Cyclone Gabrielle was much less than what fell, and the systems that capture rainfall data and water levels (and which inform emergency management staff to a change in the situation) were compromised by loss of internet and power outages.
“The loss of internet service and power outages also compromised some channels through which warnings or notifications were communicated.”
A key recommendation from the report is for a new warning system to be developed which, among other things, uses multiple channels with clear plans in place in the case of phone and internet outages. The inquiry did not recommend exactly what those alternative channels could be.
Across Hawke’s Bay, 80 per cent of cell sites were offline on Feb 14 last year when the cyclone hit the region.
111 system needs review
Both Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods – which happened in January and February last year respectively – resulted in more 111 calls than emergency services were able to respond to.
“We heard from many community members in Hawke’s Bay that they felt let down by the emergency services response system,” the report read.
“They told us that some calls were not answered by emergency services operators [and in some cases] emergency services operators told callers ‘you are on your own’.”
People were also told help was coming which never arrived.
“The Inquiry recommends the Government commission a comprehensive review of the 111 system to ensure an effective, transparent, and interoperable service that can effectively draw on the resources of all emergency services, even in times of high demand,” the report read.
Three-day rule should be seven days
The inquiry also found people need to have more supplies in the case of a severe weather event.
“The experience from Cyclone Gabrielle demonstrated that the commonly understood advice to have three days of emergency food and water available may not be sufficient and needs review.
“The Inquiry considers at least one week of emergency provisions is more appropriate for urban areas and two weeks for more remote or rural areas.”
Crime and police response
Police advised the inquiry panel that they were not anticipating people to take advantage of the situation as quickly as they did following Cyclone Gabrielle.
“In the early days of Cyclone Gabrielle, due to the loss of communications infrastructure in Hawke’s Bay, police did not have a clear picture of the scale of theft and anti-social behaviour,” the report read.
“As the need for additional resourcing, particularly in relation to missing persons and community reassurance, became clear, police mobilised additional staff into the region.
“Police have advised that, for future similar situations, proactive deployment of staff for community reassurance will be an early priority. The Inquiry endorses this approach.”
Common system for sharing information
The inquiry stated that CDEM agencies and responders require timely and accurate information about what is happening across their areas to respond quickly and effectively.
“During the severe weather events, there were issues with access to accurate information to inform decision-making,” the report read.
“The Inquiry considers the system design [for sharing accurate information] does not currently enable this kind of co-ordinated information collection, interpretation, and sharing.
“The Inquiry strongly recommends the Government invest in a common operating platform for CDEM agencies and NEMA [The National Emergency Management Agency] to use.”
The inquiry noted that a 2017 review recommended the same finding for a new operating platform for sharing vital information, but it did not eventuate.
“Currently, NEMA and councils collect information in a range of ways, resulting in information sets that are not easily compared or collated.
“They then use a range of different operating platforms to collate data and information to form operating pictures of what is happening in districts and regions.
“This approach may be adequate for small-scale local-level events but causes difficulties when trying to piece together an understanding at a regional or national level.”
The cost
“Fifteen people died, one person [Joseph Ahuriri] is still missing, and the lives of many more were forever changed,” the inquiry stated, of the three severe weather events early last year.
“The Treasury estimates the events caused between $9 and $14.5 billion of physical damage to households, businesses, and infrastructure.”
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
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