Just half of Gisborne Tairāwhiti residents confident they are prepared for natural disasters

Amanda Whiting - chief executive of AMI, State and NZI insurance companies.

Only half of Tairāwhiti people believe they are adequately ready for storms, floods and earthquakes, according to research by three major insurance companies.

The Wild Weather Tracker produced by AMI, State and NZI outlines the impact of natural hazard events on New Zealanders.

“Prior to autumn, we asked New Zealanders across all regions of the country how prepared they felt for natural hazard events,” said Amanda Whiting - the chief executive of AMI, State and NZI.

“This year we saw a reduction in the number of residents who felt confident they were prepared. Nationwide 57% felt prepared as compared to 62% last year.

“This year, those on the West Coast (33%), Southland (47%) and Gisborne (50%) feel the least prepared for the next natural hazard event, while residents in Marlborough (71%), Taranaki (66%) and Hawke’s Bay (65%) feel the most prepared,” Whiting said.

“On a national level, over half of New Zealanders have begun to feel prepared since 2023.”

Whiting said the research showed more than half of New Zealanders had recently experienced anxiety and concern about storm and heavy rain.

“There were 43% concerned specifically about flooding.

“It is troubling that New Zealanders feel worried about going to bed when it’s raining, or worry about their homes when storms, high winds and weather watches are issued,” Whiting said.

The Wild Weather Tracker shows that New Zealanders had to endure 14 natural hazard events throughout spring and summer, six of which were significant storms causing millions of dollars in damage.

“We supported our customers with a total of 3536 claims resulting from these events.”

There were 37 Tairāwhiti claims in those six months.

“We urgently need the Government to take steps that will better manage our natural hazard risks and reduce their impact on vulnerable communities,” Whiting said.

“Through smarter decisions about where we build, better protecting what we have built or moving people out of harm’s way, we can help New Zealanders to feel confident that they will be okay when the next storm hits.”