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.[1][2]
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.
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.[37][38]
COVID-19 leads to nationwide lockdowns in late March 2020 and August 2021 and an Auckland-wide lockdown in August 2020. Over a million people get infected.[44][45]
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.[48][49][50] The extreme rain event of 15–18 July brought over 690mm (27in) of rain to parts of the West Coast Region in under 72 hours.[51]
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. Five people were killed when their boat capsized off North Cape in the stormy weather.
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.
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 (10in) of rainfall across the city in a span of 3 hours.[62]
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.
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 6 May parts of the upper South Island were evacuated due major flooding.[63]
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.[67][68]
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.[69]
Torrential rain leads to flooding in the East Coast regions, resulting in evacuations and local states of emergency being declared in Hastings and Wairoa.[70] 400 properties were flooded in Wairoa.[71] Wairoa sustained NZ$40 million worth of flood damage.[72]
Heavy rainfall leads to significant flooding and lanslides in the coastal Otago region.[74] States of emergency were declared by local authorities in Dunedin and the Clutha District on 3 and 4 October.[75][76] The flood event damaged 50 homes, businesses, farms, roads, water treatment plants in the coastal Otago region.[77][78][76]
In response to heavy rainfall and flooding, a state of emergency was declared in the Selwyn District on 1 May 2025. The Banks peninsula was also cut off due to flooding.[79] That same day, strong winds, large tides and wet weather led the Wellington City Council to issue a red wind warning and encouraged residents in Ōwhiro Bay to evacuate.[80] In addition, all flights in and out of Wellington International Airport were cancelled due to strong winds.[81] Following torrential rain and flooding, a state of emergency was declared in Christchurch. Homes were also evacuated in the Selwyn District and Akaroa due to flooding.[80]
Severe wet weather affected the Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough Districts of New Zealand's South Island in late June 2025. On 26 June, a state of emergency was declared in the Wairau-Awatere Ward of Marlborough due to heavy rain and flooding.[83][84] By 27 June, another state of emergency was declared in Nelson and the Tasman due to heavy rain and flooding.[84][85] The wet weather caused serious flooding in Spring Creek and Motueka, displaced several residents in the Marlborough and Tasman Districts, and disrupted flights.[86][87]
7,000 insurance claims, with FMG Insurance estimating NZ$28 million in wind damage in Southland and Otago.[89] $2.39 million worth of damage to infrastructure and property in Invercargill.[90]
High winds struck the southern part of the North Island, Hawkes Bay and large parts of the South Island on the 20th of October causing power outages and red weather warnings. Flights were cancelled at Wellington airport before being resumed and some buildings were damaged in Wellington. A man was killed by a tree in Mount Victoria, Wellington.[91] Strong winds also caused several fires in Kaikōura and the Hawkes Bay.[92][93] On 23 September, severe winds struck Canterbury, Otago and Southland, resulting in significant damage to buildings and power infrastructure.[94][95][96] States of emergency were declared in Canterbury, the Clutha District and Southland due to widespread storm damage.[97][98][99]
Beginning on 15 January 2026, a series of storm systems brought severe weather to the upper North Island of New Zealand, peaking with the passage of the remnants of Tropical Disturbance 05F (previously known as Tropical Low 14U while it was in the Australian region) across the upper North Island on 21 and 22 January.[100] During this period, one man died after being swept away near Warkworth,[101] two people died after a landslide hit a house in Papamoa,[102] and six people were killed by a landslide at a campground in Mount Maunganui.[103] States of emergency were also declared in the Whangarei, Thames-Coromandel Districts and the Bay of Plenty Region.[104][105][106]
↑Rice, Geoffrey. Black November: the 1918 influenza pandemic in New Zealand. Bryder, Linda (Second edition, revised and enlargeded.). Christchurch, N.Z. ISBN978-1-927145-91-3. OCLC960210402.
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