Media release
November 22 9pm

Urban Search and Rescue specialist teams are visiting houses in rural Kaikoura district to make an initial assessment of earthquake damage.

In the last week, NZ Defence Force staff, Police, Red Cross and volunteers from Te Rūnanga O Kaikōura have been visiting isolated farms and homes, dropping off welfare supplies and checking on immediate needs. Federated Farmers have also been in touch with their members, arranging for support.

Kaikoura Civil Defence is now deploying USAR to undertake “Rapid Disaster Assessments” of all dwellings in rural areas, aiming to have them completed by Wednesday 30 November.

While the USAR teams are focusing on buildings, they will also be checking on the wellbeing of residents ahead of civil defence and iwi teams making more thorough detailed checks and welfare needs assessments in the following days.

Any who are found to have urgent needs will be given priority for the follow-up visits that are being coordinated by Civil Defence.

Rural people who have their landlines or cellphone coverage restored, or who have internet, can apply for assistance themselves without needing to visit the Recovery Assistance Centre in Kaikoura.

Families whose normal channels of communication are cut off will get help from the visiting teams to access the support they need.

ENDS

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