Historical Disasters By Region
Earthquakes
•2003 - an earthquake in Fiordland (magnitude 7.1) lifts the seabed by 45cms and triggers more than 200 landslides.
•2004 - a magnitude 7.2 quake 240 kilometres south-west of Te Anau. Had it occurred under or near a population centre, there would have been major damage.
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Tsunami
•1820 - a 10-metre local tsunami kills several hundred people at Orepuki.
•1998 - a 0.15-metre tsunami in Foveaux Strait from Antarctica reminds people that tsunami can come from the south as well as the Pacific.
•1993/94 - storms generated in the Southern Ocean cause severe weather conditions.
Floods
•1978 - flood damage during a storm results in a state of emergency being declared.
•1984 - 4,000 people are evacuated from their homes during flooding in Southland.
•1987 - flooding results in a state of emergency for the whole region.
•1994 - roads and bridges are washed out in the Fiordland/Southern Lakes districts.
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.
•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.