New Zealand

    Cards (5)

    • Background
      • Kaikoura, New Zealand
      • 14th November 2016
      • 7.8 on the Richter scale
      • Caused by Pacific plate subducting beneath the Australian Plate
      • Destructive and conservative plate boundary
    • Primary Effects
      • 2 people died
      • Over 50 people injured
      • Tens of thousands of homes damaged, and some were destroyed
      • 60 people needed emergency housing
      • Total cost of damage was US $8.5 billion
      • Communications, water, sewerage and power supplies cut off
      • Over 200km of road and over 190km rail line destroyed
    • Secondary Effects
      • The earthquake triggered up to 100,000 landslides which blocked major road and rail routes
      • A major landslide blocked the Clarence River, leading to flooding and evacuation of 10 farms
      • The earthquake generated a tsunami with waves of around 5 m, leaving 250 m of debris inland
    • Immediate Responses
      • A tsunami warning was issued quickly, and residents of coastal areas were told to move to higher ground
      • Hundreds of people were housed in emergency shelters and community centres
      • 200 of the most vulnerable people were evacuated from Kaikoura by helicopter within 24 hours of the earthquake
      • Power was restored to most places within a few hours
      • International warships were sent to Kaikoura with supplies such as food, medicine and portable toilets
    • Long-term Responses
      • $5.3 million of funding provided by Kaikoura District Council to help with rebuilding the town's water systems and harbour
      • Most road and rail routes repaired and reopened within 2 years
      • Kaikoura Mayoral Earthquake Relief Fund was set up to help residents who couldn't afford basic supplies, and donations were received from around the world
      • By March 2017, a permanent water main had been laid in Kaikoura