NEMA to Investigate Glitches in Emergency Alert System

Residents across New Zealand have reported inconsistent experiences with the emergency alert system following a recent tsunami warning triggered by a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia. Some individuals received as many as 50 alerts, while others received none, raising concerns about the reliability of the system.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed it is conducting an investigation into these discrepancies. According to NEMA spokesperson John Price, two alerts were issued—one on Wednesday afternoon at 4:15 PM and another on Thursday morning at 6:30 AM. The agency is now working with telecommunications providers to determine why some people received multiple alerts while others received none.

Terry Costello, a resident of Marlborough, said he received the first alert on Wednesday afternoon, and by the time he went to bed, he had received 32 alerts. He turned his phone off for the night, only to receive another 16 alerts the next morning, totaling 48.

“It just kept going. Sometimes they give you a bit of a fright,” Costello said.

Bodhi Twilley, from Titirangi in west Auckland, reported receiving at least two alerts while driving with his son, and more once he returned home. “The messages were so frequent that we just stopped reading them,” he said.

However, not everyone received alerts. Donna Glass, a Christchurch resident, was part of a book club where only one of the seven attendees received an alert. Similarly, Rosemarie Quax from Hamilton said none of the three cell phones in her household received an alert, and she only learned of the tsunami warning through media reports.

Price explained that the system is designed to only send alerts to those in areas deemed at risk. He added that people with their phones in flight mode or turned off would not receive alerts. However, he acknowledged that the incident has highlighted potential flaws in the system.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell confirmed that there had been a glitch and that NEMA was working with telecommunications providers to resolve the issue. He noted that the system had not been used for a long time nationally, and these issues have now been highlighted so that they can be fixed.

“The good thing is that the system hasn’t been used for a long time nationally. So it’s good that these issues have been highlighted so that we can get to work and fix them,” Mitchell said.

He emphasized the importance of heeding official warnings during emergencies to avoid putting oneself and others in danger.

The system is tested annually, and the latest test was conducted on 25 May 2025. According to Price, the alerts cover about 90% of the country, but some areas lack cell phone coverage, which can affect the system’s reach.

As the investigation continues, NEMA remains committed to improving the system to ensure that all New Zealanders receive timely and accurate emergency alerts when they are needed most.