Historical Disasters By Region
Earthquakes
•1987 - roads are split open, a railway engine is toppled onto its side, and homes shifted off their foundations during the magnitude 6.3 Edgecumbe earthquake.
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Tsunami
•1960 - a tsunami from a huge earthquake in Chile results in the evacuation of Whakatane, Ohope and Opotiki.
Volcanoes
•White Island has had continuous activity over the last 150,000 years.
•140,000 years ago an eruption causes the ground to collapse, forming a huge basin which forms present-day Lake Rotorua.
•Mount Edgecumbe was last active 3,500-5,500 years ago.
•1886 - Mount Tarawera erupts, killing over 150 people, and destroying the famous Pink and White Terraces.
•1914 - eruption on White Island kills ten miners.
Storms
•1936 - a cyclone destroys buildings, causes flooding and sinks boats.
•1939 - the worst snowstorm in 100 years kills livestock, blocks roads and halts trains.
•1968 - Cyclone Giselle causes much storm damage throughout the country.
•1988 - Cyclone Bola, one of the most notorious cyclones of recent history, batters the North Island.
•2007 - torrential rain and gale force winds cause widespread flooding, slips, wind damage, and road closures.
Floods
•1999 - people have to leave their homes when flooding occurs in the Rotorua district.
•2004 - intense rainfall and gale force winds in February cause flooding to many areas in New Zealand, leaving hundreds of people homeless, farmland covered in silt, sheep and cattle drowned or swept away, bridges damaged and roads closed.
•2004 - later in February heavy rain results in floods and landslides in the Whakatane and Opotiki districts.
•2005 - over 150 homes are made uninhabitable by floods in the Bay of Plenty.
•2007 - torrential rain and gale force winds cause widespread flooding.
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.