When news of a possible tsunami in the Pacific broke on 30 September, a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K Orion aircraft patrolling New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone was ordered to await further instructions. Its mission would be to assess damage if mainland New Zealand was engulfed by a massive tidal wave.
When it became apparent that New Zealand was safe but that nature had unleashed a devastating force against the main islands of Samoa and Tonga, an immediate response was required. The P-3K was recalled to Whenuapai and prepared for a likely new tasking.
While New Zealand waited for an official request for help from the Samoan Government, experienced heads within the Defence Force knew that damage assessment and search and rescue tasks would require an immediate presence.
Less than four hours later the P-3K Orion was sending back to New Zealand a detailed picture of significant destruction that prompted a massive humanitarian response. The P-3K was the first international help to arrive in the island nations.
As Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae observed, lessons had been learned from disasters both abroad and here in New Zealand, like Cyclone Bola in 1988, which underscored the need to base any response planning on solid facts.
“Our approach is to get an assessment team in first,” he says. “It’s about getting the right people making an assessment based on actual needs, so that we don’t end up sending the wrong things. You only get one chance to get it right.”
The next day a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft from No 40 Squadron arrived on task — the first of 11 Air Force flights bringing aid and assistance to the people of Samoa.
As Prime Minister John Key noted, New Zealand increasingly sees itself as a Pacific nation, and with that comes responsibilities.
In total, the Defence Force deployed 150 personnel from the Navy, Army, and Air Force and participated in a whole-of-New Zealand-government approach to assist the governments of Samoa and Tonga with disaster relief.
Defence Force medics, environmental health officers, engineers, air crews, and Navy divers were joined by New Zealand Police officers; search and recovery teams; victim identification teams; staff from NZAID, and several non-governmental organisations.
After visiting the islands to make a first-hand assessment, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced that New Zealand would contribute $6 million to the Government of Samoa to support recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Coincidentally, the Defence Force had deployed Iroquois helicopters, aircrew and support personnel to Samoa just a month earlier, for an exercise focused on disaster relief and humanitarian aid in a tropical environment. The team had already established networks, which meant there was minimal down time between arriving and, for example, putting two Iroquois helicopters to work for real.
Meanwhile, the RNZAF used C-130 Hercules and Boeing 757 aircraft to deliver over 12,000kg of medical equipment and supplies and 22,000kg of general aid including tents, food, water, and shelter boxes.
The Royal New Zealand Navy Dive Team repaired and replaced fresh water pipelines, and conducted searches for bodies off the southern lagoon reefs, environmental reef surveys and sub-surface obstacle removal operations.
The New Zealand Army medical team assisted at Lalomanu Hospital and Poutasi Medical Clinics. Army engineers provided reconnaissance and assessments of damaged infrastructure, and assisted in body searches with the New Zealand Police and other rescue services. They also constructed temporary facilities and water tank shelters.
Multi-role vessel HMNZS CANTERBURY delivered around 225 tonnes of general aid, medical equipment, plumbing and electrical supplies, as well as power and Fale poles to Tonga and Samoa. This shipment included containers of donated goods from the Samoan and Tongan communities in Auckland. Navy Seasprite helicopters, working from the flight deck of CANTERBURY flew 84 sorties, ensuring that these and other supplies got ashore on the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu. HMNZS CANTERBURY’s landing craft (LCM) were critical to the delivery of vehicles and heavy equipment.
Wing Commander Karl Harvey, the Defence Force’s Senior National Officer in Samoa, summed up the feeling the Defence Force personnel had at the end of the three-week disaster response operation:
“The effects of this tsunami have been felt across the South Pacific,but have had a significant impact on the people of Samoa and Tonga directly, something Defence Force personnel have seen every day.
The tragic loss of life cannot be reversed — but we hope that with our contribution to the combined aid effort, the people of Samoa and Tonga can start down the road to recovery and rebuild their respective communities and countries.”
Guided By Smiles
Air Force Media Advisor Squadron Leader Kavae Tamariki arrived in Samoa with the first of the Defence Force response. Here are some of his impressions:
On arrival, we drove the whole of the southern coast. The devastation was massive. In some places the waterline had reached up 25m-30m above the road. The only buildings left standing seemed to be churches - everything else had been torn away.
The Samoans hadn’t waited for help. The day after the tsunami they had heavy trade vehicles out clearing roads, moving debris so that emergency services could get into the area.
The Defence Force quickly set up a Headquarters at the New Zealand High Commission in Apia. When we arrived the morning after the tsunami there were Kiwis who had survived the tsunami, but had lost everything. I met some who had lost family members and were in shock; a husband who had lost a wife; and parents who had lost children. Seeing these people brings home a sense of helplessness because there are some things for which no amount of aid can ease pain.
Our Environmental Health Officers did a great job working with local authorities out in the field to look at the provision of the basics of life for healthy living – clean water, sanitation, food, shelter and medical assistance. These were things that were simple to do but made a huge impact on the people there. The smile on the faces of the locals made you feel that you were headed in the right direction.