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Disasters New Zealand

Explore the impact and timelines of natural and man-made disasters in New Zealand like Wahine, Tangiwai, Erebus, and the Napier and Christchurch earthquakes. Also covered are Civil Defence, support systems and survival stories. SCIS no. 1807259

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Mount Tarawera in eruption Ref: C-033-002

Mount Tarawera in eruption Ref: C-033-002

This dramatic volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886, was painted by Charles Blomfield.

Erebus memorial cross

Erebus memorial cross

Erebus memorial cross

Erebus air crash in Antarctica

Erebus air crash in Antarctica

On 29 November 1979, an Air New Zealand sightseeing aircraft crashed into the side of a volcano in Antarctica, killing everyone on board. This story follows the events of New Zealand's worst disast...

The Erebus story

The story of the loss of flight TE901 on Mt Erebus in Antarctica.

The Tarawera eruption

Documentary about the eruption of Mt Tarawera.

The Mt Tarawera eruption

First newspaper reports of the Mount Tarawera eruption.

The eruption of Mt Tarawera - roadside stories

Video about the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera, near Rotorua

Te Wairoa school after the Tarawera eruption

Te Wairoa school after the Tarawera eruption

Mt Tarawera erupted on the 10th of June 1886. The eruption that could be heard as far as Blenheim, buried the village of Te Wairoa (now a tourist attraction called ‘The Buried Village’). More than ...

Wahine Disaster

Wahine Disaster

Pike River Mine disaster 2010

Pike River Mine disaster 2010

The explosion at Pike River Mine on 19 November 2010 killed 29 men. This was a major disaster for New Zealand in recent times. Two years later the Royal Commission of Inquiry began an investigation...

Wahine disaster 45 years on

As the Wahine was sinking the passengers were singing There’s a Hole in my Bucket.

Aftershock

What would happen if a major earthquake struck Wellington?

Brunner coal mine disaster

Brunner coal mine disaster

On 26 March 1896 an explosion at Brunner, West Coast, killed 65 coal miners in New Zealand’s worst mining disaster.

Disaster robot

Robots help search for life in earthquake rubble.

A Wahine rescue mission

A personal account of the Wahine tragedy by Major Joan Beale.

Heroes of the Wahine disaster

There were many heroes and brave rescuers on the day the Wahine sank.

Wahine disaster prompts life-saving services

The significance of the Wahine disaster goes beyond the events of the day.

Wahine disaster

Wahine disaster

E-book about the Wahine disaster.

Survival story

Earthquake stories

Numerous stories, some of survival, after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Tornado in Greymouth

Tornado in Greymouth

This photograph shows the damage done by a tornado that ripped through Greymouth on the 10thof March 2005. The tornado came in from the sea and made landfall at Blaketown. It then moved through the...

The 1918 influenza epidemic

Article about the spread of the 1918 influenza epidemic in Wellington.

Telegram from King George V

Telegram from King George V

To mark the 85th anniversary of New Zealand’s deadliest natural disaster, Archives New Zealand will be sharing a number of records via their social media channels this week. The 1931 Hawke's Bay...

Abbotsford landslide

Abbotsford landslide

New Zealand’s most publicised landslide occurred in the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford. Cracks were first noticed by residents in 1969. In May 1979 an underground water pipe was unearthed and enginee...

Brynderwyn accident

The Brynderwyn Hill bus crash

On February 7th 1963, New Zealand's worst bus crash occurred on Brynderwyn Hill. The bus was chartered by the Maori Affairs Department and was returning from Waitangi Day celebrations carrying 35 p...

New Zealand disasters timeline

The disasters timeline and map give an overview of New Zealand's worst natural disasters, transport accidents, fires, mining accidents and other tragedies that have caused major loss of life.

Warning sign

A sign warning of the tsunami hazard.

Measles epidemic

Measles epidemic

Māori had no initial immunity to the new diseases that arrived with Pākehā settlers, and severe epidemics were common. This 1887 newspaper article describes a deadly outbreak of measles in Taranaki...

New Zealand volcanologist in Paris

New Zealand volcanologist in Paris

A trip to Paris for a disaster planning meeting has turned into a real life saga for New Zealand volcanologist Dr David Johnston. Dr Johnston, of Massey University, found himself stranded in the Fr...

Disaster kit

This cartoon followed the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake that resulted in severe damage and many casualties. After disaster strikes, electricity and water will be cut off, roads damaged a...

New Zealand epidemics

An epidemic occurs when there is an abnormally high level of a disease in a country at a particular time. The term usually refers to infectious diseases, but it is also possible to have epidemics o...

Preparation for a disaster

Preparation for a disaster

Preparation for a civil defence emergency. What can we do to be ready? What everybody should do. This video plays in the Volcanoes gallery at Auckland Museum (see http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/volc...

Schoolgirl honoured for tsunami beach warning

A schoolgirl who ran along a Samoan beach warning people that a devastating tsunami was about to hit has been honoured for her bravery.

The heroes of the Christchurch earthquake

The heroes of the Christchurch earthquake

In the hours and days following the 11 February, 2011 earthquake, emergency services were overwhelmed. Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) task forces and the New Zealand Defence Force joined their effo...

Christchurch Cathedral

Christchurch Cathedral

The Christchurch Cathedral was the main attraction of Cathedral Square. It was designed by

Scientists prepare for lake Taupo eruption

There is only a small chance the volcano that is now Lake Taupo will erupt, but researchers are planning for a worst case scenario in case it does.

Abbotsford residents

Abbotsford residents

On 8 August 1979 a landslide split the suburb of Abbotsford (Dunedin) in two. As a result over 70 buildings were destroyed, mostly suburban houses. Luckily no one was killed or injured. However, so...

Railway disaster at Tangiwai

The Tangiwai disaster

On Christmas Eve, 1953 the swollen Whangaehu River swept away the Tangiwai bridge. The approaching Wellington-Auckland night express rolled onto the damaged bridge. The engine and five carriages pl...

Ballantynes fire

Ballantynes fire

J Ballantyne & Co was a centre for shopping in Canterbury. In November 1947 more than 300 people were employed at the store. At 3.30 that afternoon an employee noticed smoke from the cellar below t...

Disaster forecast

Disaster forecast

A weather forecast girl stands in front of a map of New Zealand And outlines a range of potential disasters.

Christchurch cathedral ruins

Christchurch cathedral ruins

It took 40 years to build, but only a few minutes to be destroyed. This photograph shows what remained standing of Christchurch Cathedral following the devastating earthquake of 22 February, 2011. ...

185 Empty Chairs art installation

185 Empty Chairs art installation

Artists Peter and Joy Majendie wanted to commemorate the 185 people who lost their lives in the earthquake of 11 February, 2011. They also wanted to make a place where Christchurch people could spe...

Explosive Ruapehu

Explosive Ruapehu

Although increased seismic activity and small hydrothermal eruptions in the crater had been observed in mid 1995, Ruapehu exploded spectacularly on 23 September 1995. This was the first time that m...

Volcanoes: Pacific Ring of Fire

New Zealand lies at the south-west end of a vast horseshoe-shaped zone of intense volcanism and earthquakes. This zone extends, essentially unbroken, around the margins of the Pacific Ocean – the s...

Influenza pandemic 1918

Influenza pandemic 1918

Influenza, most commonly called 'the flu' is a disease that is caused by a virus, which affects the upper and lower respiratory tract. In 1918 an influenza pandemic killed 30 to 40 million people ...

Insurance: Disaster insurance

The massive San Francisco earthquake of 1906 resulted in huge payouts by insurance companies and sent some of them into bankruptcy. Afterwards insurance companies worldwide ruled out shock and fire...

Safest place to live in NZ

This article examines areas least at risk to disasters in New Zealand.

Pandemic planning and response

Ministry of Health site lists guidance, legislation, planning and response to infectious diseases.

New Zealand disasters

A list of some of New Zealand’s major disasters.

Rena oil spill gives clean up practise

Rena oil spill gives clean up practise

On 5 October 2011, the Rena, a Greek container ship ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef, off the coast of Tauranga. The ship was carrying hazardous materials, tonnes of heavy fuel oil and marine dies...

Volcanic landforms

Volcanic eruptions and their effects on the landscape of New Zealand.

Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management

The official New Zealand Civil Defence website.

Accidents & Disasters

Contains images of the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

Eruption of Mount Ruapehu - Photograph taken by Phil Reid

Eruption of Mount Ruapehu - Photograph taken by Phil Reid

Eruption of Mount Ruapehu, 17 June 1996, photographed from the roadside at National Park by Evening Post photographer Phil Reid. Shows an ash cloud drifting north and an unidentified man in the for...

Welcome to Geonet

Geonet provides the latest geological hazard information in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s largest earthquakes.

A map showing the location, date and magnitude of New Zealand’s largest earthquakes.

New Zealand's biggest threat revealed

A report says a sharemarket crash is the biggest disaster risk to New Zealand not an earthquake or volcanic eruption.

When Disaster strikes: collected disaster stories

A collection of disaster survival stories.

Disaster activities

This pdf has lesson plans and activities on how to plan and prepare for a disaster.

Whakaari (White Island) ash cloud, 2019

Whakaari (White Island) ash cloud, 2019

An ash cloud rises above Whakaari (White Island) following the eruption of the active volcano in December 2019 that killed 22 people.

Living with disaster: warning for Kiwis - be ready for the big one

What remains clear is New Zealand's frightening vulnerability to earthquakes.

This site shares stories from people who experienced and survived the Christchurch earthquake.

Download the Hazard App to help you and your family prepare for and respond to hazards in New Zealand.

Natural disasters

Presents Māori and Samoan perspectives on natural disasters.

Cyclone Bola - March 1988

What happened, and the impact and damage caused by Cyclone Bola.

Tsunami wiped out historic knowledge

Archaeologist Bruce McFadgen’s report on a huge tsunami that hit New Zealand around 500 years ago.

Tale of two recovering cities

Journalist Tyler Adams writes about Japan’s recovery and Christchurch’s rebuild.

On Christmas Eve, 1953 the swollen Whangaehu River swept away the Tangiwai bridge. The approaching Wellington-Auckland night express rolled onto the damaged bridge. The engine and five carriages plunged off the bridge and into the river killing 285 passengers. Moments later the sixth carriage dropped into the water.

On Christmas Eve, 1953 the swollen Whangaehu River swept away the Tangiwai bridge. The approaching Wellington-Auckland night express rolled onto the damaged bridge. The engine and five carriages plunged off the bridge and into the river killing 285 passengers. Moments later the sixth carriage dropped into the water.

Pike River lies to the northeast of Greymouth. On the 19th November 2010 there was an explosion which took the lives of 29 miners. Rescue teams could not enter the mine because of the danger of mor...

State of emergency in the Nelson fire region

The State of Civil Emergency in the Tasman region has been extended for another week as authorities continue to deal with the large bush fires.

Whakaari: New Zealand’s volcano tragedy

It’s the worst burns incident in New Zealand history, with over fifteen fatalities.

Wahine Disaster

The sinking of the Lyttelton–Wellington ferry Wahine on 10 April 1968 was New Zealand’s worst modern maritime disaster.

The Brunner disaster

An account of the 1896 Brunner mining disaster.

Tragedy on White Island

An account of the 1914 Whaakari (White Island) eruption.

Wahine: Ada’s story

Where were you on the 10th of April 1968? Were you sheltering from Cyclone Giselle as she battered the country? Did you brave the weather to make your way to work or school? Imagine if you were, li...

Christchurch earthquake survivors ten years on

On 22 February, 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, killing 185 people. Those left behind have spent a decade coming to terms with the tragedy

The wreck of the Rena

On 5 October 2011 the container ship Rena grounded on the Astrolabe Reef in the Bay of Plenty.

Kaimai Ranges plane crash

On 3 July, 1963, DC-3 Skyliner ZK-AYZ Hastings, crashed into a vertical rock face in the Kaimai Range killing all on board.

Quake, rattle and roll

More than 15 000 quakes are recorded in New Zealand every year.

Health and natural hazards

New Zealand is susceptible to a range of natural hazards, including climate change.

Tangiwai disaster

On Christmas Day 1953, 151 people died in theTangiwai Disaster, caused by an earlier eruption at Mt Ruapehu.

Ruins of McRae's Hotel, Te Wairoa, destroyed during the 1886 Tarawera eruption

Ruins of McRae's Hotel, Te Wairoa, destroyed during the 1886 Tarawera eruption

Ruins of McRae's Hotel, Te Wairoa, destroyed during the 1886 Tarawera eruption. Photograph taken in 1886 by Charles S Spencer. Inscriptions: Photographer's title on negative - bottom right - RUINS...

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