Historical Disasters By Region
Earthquakes
•1974 - cracked chimneys, fallen plaster and broken household goods caused by the magnitude 4.9 Dunedin earthquake.
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Tsunami
•1877 - 3.7 metre waves in Port Chalmers.
Storms
•1978 - storm and flood damage result in a state of emergency being declared.
•1993/94 - storms generated in the Southern Ocean cause severe weather conditions.
Floods
•1979 - the Taieri Plains, including Dunedin airport, are covered in floodwaters.
•1986 - flooding in Canterbury and northern Otago results in $60 million worth of damage.
•1991 - flooding in the Catlins area, with many people evacuated and much damage caused.
•1994 - because of flooding, 572 people are evacuated in Milford and 3,000 people move out of a camping ground in Alexandra.
•1999 - the main shopping areas of Queenstown and Wanaka are under water during flooding in Central Otago. Flooding also occurs in Alexandra, Roxburgh and Balclutha.
•2007 - a prolonged spell of rain, with over 100mm falling in most areas, results in flooding with the Milton area being the worst affected.
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.
•1998 - two homes are destroyed during wildfires near Alexandra.
•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.