Historical Disasters By Region
Earthquakes
•1888 - a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in North Canterbury knocks the top off the spire of Christchurch Cathedral.
•1901 - Cheviot is badly damaged in a magnitude 7.3 quake, and a baby is killed in the collapse of a sod hut. Christchurch has many broken windows, cracked stonework and toppled chimneys.
•1929 - during a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at Arthur’s Pass, 60 million cubic metres of rock break off Falling Mountain.
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Tsunami
•1960 - the Chilean earthquake causes a 5.5 metre tsunami in Lyttelton, which pours over the walls of the dry-dock.
•1998 - a massive tsunami that hit Papau New Guinea causes an 0.3 metre rise in water level at Lyttelton, Sumner and Timaru.
Storms
•1956 - a hailstorm damages buildings, forestry, orchards and crops from Mt Somers to Loburn.
•1968 - Cyclone Giselle damages thousands of roofs and flattens trees throughout Canterbury, causing $10 million in damage.
•1975 - a windstorm blows roofs off buildings and flattens over 6,000 hectares of trees.
•1992 - one of the largest snowfalls recorded in Christchurch damages buildings and disrupts roads, electricity and communications, isolating many communities for days.
•2000 - the Lyttelton boat marina is destroyed in southerly storm.
•2002 - a severe snowstorm closes roads, schools and airports. Some roofs in Ashburton collapse under the weight of the snow, and there are many vehicle accidents.
•2006 - a large snowstorm delivers record snow depths to some parts of Canterbury, causing extended power cuts (up to four weeks for some people), collapsed roofs and closed roads. Many motorists are stranded in the snow.
•2008 - a storm batters the coast-line with 6-8 metre swells, causes rivers to burst their banks and damages roads and infrastructure. Kaikoura is cut off, and Amberley Beach and Leithfield Beach have to evacuate. Three weeks later another storm damages Culverden’s water supply and Kaikoura is cut off once more.
Floods
•1945 - flooding causes over $485,000 worth of damage, especially in Christchurch and Akaroa.
•1986 - flooding in Canterbury and northern Otago results in $60 million worth of damage.
•1993 - flooding in Kaikoura damages 35 homes and 44 businesses.
•1994 - 150 people are evacuated when flooding occurs at Mount Cook. A few months later, more floods damage roading in Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie.
•1994 - flooding in Omarama and later in Hakataramea.
•1997 - 200 people are evacuated from Stratheona and Butlers Crossing after the Opuha Dam fails.
Non-natural Disasters
•1918/19 - Spanish flu, our worst disaster, kills over 8,000 New Zealanders.
•1957/58 - the Asian flu comes in two waves, and affects about 70-80% of the population, though few people die.
•1968/69 - the Hong Kong flu reaches New Zealand. As it occurs mainly during the Christmas holidays, it does not spread as fast amongst schoolchildren and their families.
•1994 - 300 children are evacuated from a cinema in Timaru when the wall of a nearby grain-store begins to distort.
•2009 - human cases of non-seasonal influenza A (H1N1) 'swine flu' resulting from human to human transmission are identified in Mexico in April, with subsequent spread to many other countries, including New Zealand. All of New Zealand’s cases have recently returned from travel in affected areas or are close contacts of cases. New Zealand continues its efforts to contain the influenza A (H1N1) swine flu virus and prevent community transmission. By late May case numbers in New Zealand remain stable, but the number of overseas cases being notified to the World Health Organisation continues to increase.