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List of natural disasters in New Zealand facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This list of natural disasters in New Zealand documents notable natural disasters and epidemics that have occurred in New Zealand since 1843. Of these natural disasters, the 1918 flu pandemic resulted in the highest loss of life with 8,600 deaths in New Zealand.

Notable natural disasters

Colour pink scheme used in this table:
Earthquake
Flooding
Health Crisis
Landslide
Tsunami
Volcanic eruption
Weather
Wildfires
Year Type Deaths Place Region Cost Note Reference
1843 Earthquake 2 Wanganui Manawatu M 7+ 1843 Wanganui earthquake
1846 Landslide 60 Lake Taupo Waikato Worst landslide in New Zealand History
1848 Earthquake 3 Blenheim Marlborough M 7.5 1848 Marlborough earthquake
1855 Earthquake 9 Wairarapa Wellington M 8.3 1855 Wairarapa earthquake
1855 Tsunami Cook Strait Cook Strait Maximum wave heights of 11m
1858 Flooding 14 Hutt Valley Wellington
1863 Flooding 200 Central Otago Otago Floods and snowstorm
1868 Weather 40 New Zealand Nationwide Cyclone Great storm of 1868
1868 Flooding 9 Totara, Waiareka Valley Otago
1868 Tsunami 1 East coast of New Zealand Chile Maximum wave heights of 7m
1877 Tsunami East coast of New Zealand Chile Maximum wave heights of 3m
1878 Flooding 3 Clutha Valley Otago Great Clutha flood of 1878
1885 Earthquake 3 Paekakariki Wellington M 5-6
1886 Volcanic 153 Mount Tarawera Bay of Plenty Death toll ranges 108–153 depending on source 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera
1888 Earthquake 1 Hanmer Springs Canterbury M 7+ 1888 North Canterbury earthquake
1897 Flooding 12 Clive Hawke's Bay
1901 Earthquake 1 Cheviot Canterbury M 6.8 1901 Cheviot earthquake
1904 Landslide 8 Brunner West Coast
1904 Earthquake 1 Cape Turnagain Manawatu M 7 1904 Cape Turnagain earthquake
1913 Earthquake 1 Masterton Wellington M 5.6
1914 Landslide 1 Ngatapa Gisborne
1914 Volcanic 10 White Island Bay of Plenty Lahar
1914 Earthquake 1 East Cape Gisborne M 6.6 1914 East Cape earthquakes
1918 Wildfire 3 Raetihi Manawatu Raetihi Forest Fire
1918 Health Crisis 8,600 Nationwide New Zealand Influenza virus struck between October and December 1918
1923 Landslide 17 Taumaranui Manawatu Landslide hit Auckland to Wellington express train near Taumaranui, killing 17 and injuring 30
1923 Landslide 2 Little River Canterbury
1924 Flooding 1 Kaiwaka Hawke's Bay
1924 Landslide 1 Napier Hawke's Bay Slip happened on Shakespeare Rd.
1924 Tsunami Chatham Islands Unknown Maximum wave heights of 6m
1929 Weather 1 East coast of New Zealand Bay of Plenty, Otago Cyclone, caused violent wind in northeastern North Island and flooding throughout Dunedin and coastal Otago 1929 New Zealand cyclone
1929 Earthquake 17 Murchison Tasman M 7.8 1929 Murchison earthquake
1931 Earthquake 256 Napier/Hastings Hawke's Bay Official death toll of 256, reported death toll of 258. M 7.8 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
1934 Earthquake 2 Pahiatua Manawatu M 7.2 1934 Pahiatua earthquake
1936 Weather 12 New Zealand North Island Cyclone, caused widespread flooding and destruction 1936 New Zealand cyclone
1938 Flooding 21 Kopuawhara Hawke's Bay Kopuawhara flash flood of 1938
1942 Earthquake 1 Wairarapa Wellington M 6.9 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes
1942 Weather 1 Kaitaia Northland Tornado
1947 Tsunami East Coast Gisborne Maximum wave heights of 10m. 25 March
1947 Tsunami East Coast Gisborne Maximum wave heights of 5m. 17 May
1948 Weather 3 Hamilton Waikato Tornado
1953 Volcanic 151 Tangiwai Manawatu Lahar destroyed rail bridge, sending train into river Tangiwai disaster
1953 Weather 1 Auckland Auckland Tornado
1960 Tsunami East coast of New Zealand Chile Maximum wave heights of 4.5m
1967 Weather 1 North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Dinah
1968 Earthquake 3 Inangahua West Coast M 7.1 1968 Inangahua earthquake
1968 Weather 59 North Island North Island Cyclone Cyclone Giselle
1973 Weather 1 Opunake Taranaki Tornado
1975 Weather 2 Nationwide New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Alison
1976 Weather 1 Hutt Valley, Wellington Wellington Heavy rain caused slips and flooding 1976 Wellington storm
1978 Flooding Clutha Valley Otago 1978 Otago flood
1979 Landslide Dunedin Otago 69 houses destroyed 1979 Abbotsford landslip
1980 Weather 1 Auckland Auckland Tornado
1982 Weather 2 Northern North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Bernie
1984 Flooding Invercargill Southland $100,000,000+
1985 Landslide 3 Te Aroha Waikato
1987 Earthquake 1 Edgecumbe Bay of Plenty $300,000,000 M 6.3 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake
1988 Weather 7 East Coast of North Island North Island $229,000,000 Cyclone Cyclone Bola
1989 Weather Northland New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Delilah
1990 Weather Taranaki New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Hilda
1991 Weather 1 Auckland Auckland Tornado
1994 Weather Southwestern South Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Rewa
1994 Weather Hastings Hawke's Bay $10,800,000 Hailstorm
1996 Weather Eastern North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Beti
1996 Weather 2 Northern North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Fergus
1997 Weather 3 Nationwide New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Drena
1997 Weather North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Gavin
1998 Weather 1 Nationwide New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Yali
2001 Weather 4 Northern North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Sose
2003 Tsunami Fiordland Southland Maximum wave heights of 5m
2004 Weather 3 Nationwide New Zealand $148,000,000 A storm brought high winds, heavy rain, flooding, and slips to much of the North Island as well as the upper South Island. Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington were particularly hard hit. Two people drowned in the sea in Wellington and one person is presumed to have drowned in the Marlborough Sounds.
2004 Weather 2 Northeastern North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Ivy
2004 Landslide 2 Owira Bay of Plenty
2004 Earthquake 1 Lake Rotomā Bay of Plenty M 5.4
2004 Weather 2 Waitara Taranaki Tornado
2006 Volcanic 1 Raoul Island Kermedec Islands 2006 Raoul Island eruption
2007 Earthquake 1 Gisborne Gisborne $50,000,000 M 6.7 2007 Gisborne earthquake
2008 Weather North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Funa
2009 Weather 1 Nationwide New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Innis
2009 Health Crisis 19 Nationwide New Zealand Swine flu infects 3,175 people and results in 19 deaths 2009 flu pandemic in New Zealand
2010 Earthquake 2 Darfield Canterbury $4,000,000,000 M 7.1 2010 Canterbury earthquake
2011 Weather Northern North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Wilma
2011 Earthquake 185 Christchurch Canterbury $42,000,000,000 M 6.3 2011 Christchurch earthquake
2011 Weather 1 Auckland Auckland $6,300,000 Tornado
2011 Earthquake 1 Christchurch Canterbury M 6.4 June 2011 Christchurch earthquake
2011 Weather Nationwide New Zealand Snowstorm 2011 New Zealand snowstorms
2011 Earthquake 1 Christchurch Canterbury M 5.9 December aftershock
2012 Weather 3 Auckland Auckland Tornado
2012 Weather 1 North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Evan
2013 Weather Nationwide New Zealand 2013 New Zealand winter storm
2013 Landslide 2 Haast Pass / Tioripatea West Coast
2014 Weather Nationwide New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Ita
2014 Flooding 2 Northland North Island
2014 Earthquake 1 East Cape Gisborne M 6.5
2015 Flooding 1 Petone Wellington
2015 Flooding South Dunedin Otago $138,000,000 On 3 June 2015, a low weather system brought heavy rain to the coastal Otago Region. South Dunedin experienced heavy flooding, which was exacerbated by the area's high water table and the breakdown of the Portobello pumping station. 1,200 homes and businesses were damaged by flood damage. 2015 Otago flood
2016 Health Crisis 3 Havelock North Hawke's Bay $21,000,000 Campylobacter infects 5,200 people and results in 3 deaths
2016 Earthquake 2 Kaikōura Canterbury $2,270,000,000 M 7.8 2016 Kaikōura earthquake
2017 Wildfire 1 Port Hills Canterbury $18,300,000 2017 Port Hills fires
2017 Flooding Edgecumbe Bay of Plenty $91,460,000 Cyclone Cyclone Debbie
2017 Weather North Island New Zealand $17,200,000 Cyclone Cyclone Cook
2018 Weather Northwestern South Island New Zealand $45,900,000 Cyclone Cyclone Fehi
2018 Weather Northwestern South Island New Zealand $35,600,000 Cyclone Cyclone Gita
2019 Wildfire Pigeon Valley Tasman Pigeon Valley Fire
2019 Health Crisis 2 Nationwide New Zealand 2019 New Zealand measles outbreak
2019 Weather Timaru Canterbury $170,000,000 Hailstorm
2019 Volcanic 22 Whakaari / White Island Bay of Plenty 2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption
2020 Flooding 3 Southern South Island Southland and Otago $29,640,000
2020 Health Crisis 2,502 Nationwide New Zealand COVID-19 infects over a million people leading to nationwide lockdowns in late March 2020 and August 2021 and an Auckland-wide lockdown in August 2020. COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
2020 Wildfire Lake Ōhau Canterbury $35,180,000 Lake Ōhau Fire
2020 Flooding Napier Hawke's Bay $87,720,000
2021 Flooding Canterbury Plains Canterbury $46,440,000
2021 Weather 1 Auckland Auckland $32,000,000 Tornado
2021 Flooding Northern South Island Buller District, Tasman District, and Marlborough Region $140,470,000 Torrential rain in mid-July 2021 led to flooding in the West Coast's Buller District, Tasman District, and Marlborough regions of the South Island, prompting evacuations of residents and state of emergency. The extreme rain event of 15–18 July brought over 690 mm (27 in) of rain to parts of the West Coast Region in under 72 hours. 2021 central New Zealand floods
2021 Flooding 1 Auckland Auckland $62,290,000 Heavy rainfall caused extensive flooding and slips in western Auckland. One person drowned in floodwaters in the suburb of Henderson.
2022 Tsunami Northern North Island Tonga $5,930,000 The tsunami from the eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai caused a 1.33 metre tsunami at Great Barrier Island, while millions dollars of damage was done at a marina in Tutukaka.
2022 Weather North Island New Zealand $54,840,000 Cyclone Cyclone Dovi
2022 Weather 5 North Island New Zealand $119,640,000 A low-pressure system that migrated across the North Island from the Tasman Sea to off East Cape caused severe thunderstorms and extensive flooding in the Auckland and Gisborne regions. 5 people were killed when their boat capsized off North Cape in the stormy weather.
2022 Weather 1 North Island New Zealand $11,050,000 A line of thunderstorms accompanied by gale-force winds passed across the North Island. A tornado in Levin caused extensive damage, while in Cambridge a woman was killed after a tree fell on her.
2022 Flooding Nationwide New Zealand $67,840,000 Heavy persistent rain in mid-August led to widespread evacuations, flooding, and landslides in Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, West Coast, Northland, Taranaki, and Wellington. 2022 New Zealand floods
2023 Weather 1 North Island New Zealand Cyclone Cyclone Hale
2023 Flooding 4 Northern North Island New Zealand At least $1,300,000,000 From 27 January to 2 February, catastrophic floods occurred in the Auckland, Northland and Waikato regions which resulted in states of emergency, with Auckland being the worst affected. NIWA reported a record breaking 160.6 millimetres (10 in) of rainfall across the city in a span of 3 hours. 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods
2023 Weather 11 North Island New Zealand Estimated $13,000,000,000 From Sunday 12 February to Wednesday 15 February, Cyclone Gabrielle struck the North Island, resulting in significant damage and flooding, and a national state of emergency being declared, the third time in the nation's history. Cyclone Gabrielle
2023 Weather Auckland, Tasman, Kapiti and Taranaki New Zealand Between Monday 10 April and Tuesday 11 April, four significant tornadoes struck. There was one in Tasman District, one in East Auckland, one in Paraparaumu, and one in Waitara, resulting in over 60 homes being damaged and 10 homes yellow stickered. Several people were injured.
2023 Flooding 1 Northern North Island and Northern South Island New Zealand On Tuesday 9 May, a state of emergency was declared in Auckland after torrential rains caused severe flooding. There were also impacts in Northland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty. A school student was swept away in floodwaters on a field trip to the Abbey Caves. Additionally a few days prior on Saturday May 6 parts of the upper South Island were evacuated due major flooding.
2023 Flooding Gisborne New Zealand Heavy rains between the 22 and 23 June caused over 130 people evacuated and a state of emergency declared in Gisborne.
2023 Flooding Southland Region and Otago New Zealand Heavy rain on 21 September caused flooding in several places across the Southland and Otago regions including Gore and Queenstown. 100 homes were evacuated in Queenstown and Tuatapere's water treatment plant was damaged. A state of emergency was declared in the Southland Region. 2023 southern New Zealand floods
2024 Wildfire Port Hills Canterbury A wildfire broke out on 14 February, seven years and one day since the 2017 Port Hills fires. A state of emergency was declared, with evacuations of residential properties. 2024 Port Hills fire
2024 Wildfire Weka Pass Canterbury A wildfire broke out at 8pm on 18 February which caused evacuations of homes in Waipara.

See also

  • List of disasters in New Zealand by death toll
  • List of natural disasters in Australia
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