The Red Zone is the shore exclusion zone – beaches, estuaries and river mouths. Even if a tsunami is not big enough to flood land, it can cause strong and unusual currents in the water, and unpredictable surges onto beaches, which can knock people off their feet.

You need to get out of the Red Zone in any official tsunami warning or if you feel a long (more than a minute) or strong (hard to stand up) earthquake, or if there is any official tsunami warning in place.

The Orange Zone is a land evacuation zone. This is a zone that could be flooded by a large tsunami. 

You need to get out of this zone if you feel a long (more than a minute) or strong (hard to stand up) earthquake, or if you are asked to leave by emergency services in an official tsunami warning.

The Christchurch City tsunami evacuation zones (Brooklands to Taylors Mistake) are currently being reviewed, and evacuation zones are also being developed for Banks Peninsula.

In sparsely populated areas where there are currently no evacuation zones drawn up, you still need to move inland (at least 1km) or to high ground if you feel a long (more than a minute) or strong (hard to stand up) earthquake, or you get an official warning to evacuate.