Northland urged to be prepared for anything

BE PREPARED: Floods are Northland's biggest natural disaster risk, and civil defence experts are urging Northlanders to plan for events like this flood at the base of Turntable Hill, Moerewa, last July. PHOTO/FILE

Northland residents are being urged to plan for extreme storms, floods and tsunamis.

Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) said the large number of rural homes in the region would potentially hamper recovery time from storms and floods.

Northland has been hit hard by floods in recent years, with two major deluges in 2010 causing tens of millions of dollars worth of infrastructure damage.

CDEM senior programme manager Graeme Macdonald said heavy rain and flooding were the most common hazards facing Northland.

"The major storms occur every four or five years and they can be quite severe. Rural homes can be quickly isolated in an emergency, so they need to be prepared. Families need to have sufficient food and water on hand for at least three days to look after themselves if they are isolated, and ensure all documentation or critical information is kept in a grab bag in case they need to evacuate.

"It's essential to know the hazards and threat levels where you live," Mr Macdonald said.

Information from the Ministry of Civil Defence said Northland's dependence on farming and horticulture industries means the economy is especially vulnerable to flooding.

Civil Defence said the region also has a below national average access to Internet, so informing people on how to prepare cannot be solely online.

Mr Macdonald said the CDEM was aware of this and had an extensive Get Ready campaign.

"We have over 50 community awareness plans right across the region, working together to make sure people have a certain level of preparedness and are able to operate on their own."

The Northland CDEM participated in "Get Ready Week" last year and will also be involved in this year's national awareness week, from October 11-17.

Ministry of Civil Defence spokesman Shane Bayley said this year's campaign would focus on earthquakes, urging people to prepare for more than three days.