Ruapehu erupts — exercise

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 26, 19 November 1985, Page 5

Ruapehu erupts — exercise

A simulated state of emergency was declared in the Wanganui region last Tuesday to test the capability of civil defence staff. Headquarters staff for the Waimarino gathered at their centre, the Ohakune Borough Council Chambers, on Tuesday morning. Police and traffic officers took part in the exercise, as

well as the Waimarino's Civil Defence controller, Ohakune Mayor Bill Taylor, deputy controller Raetihi Mayor Garrick Workman, chief of staff Ohakune Town Clerk, Edith Moore, operations officer Don Robinson, operations clerk Shirley Bing, intelligence officer Janet Martin and communications officer Vince Pakinga. Headquarters staff con-

centrated on sending and receiving messages by radio telephone concerning the evapuation of residents to Headquarters Wanganui. The population was to be evacuated due to the probability of a major eruption. The imagined situation came about after a large amount of activity on the mountain. DSIR vulcanologists were on the mountain surveying the activity. After an eruption on 15 October, when the cone of the mountain was dirtied by thousands of fist-sized rocks flung from the crater, the National Parks Board closed the mountain to the public. In the exercise scenario the DSIR team on the mountain decided that because of the weakening of the south-east face of the mountain evident from a bulge developing there, and the high siljca content in the magma, a major eruption was imminent.