Media Release
15 May 2009
Weather Extremes Dominate Natural Hazards In 2008

The recent wild weather continues a trend that saw storms rack up record amounts of property damage in 2008.

Two winter storms in 2008 set a record for the largest number of insurance claims lodged in a single month, according to an annual review of natural hazards from the Natural Hazards Centre.

The two storms in July produced 23,755 claims costing insurers $72 million, the 30-page annual publication says.

The three most costly years for insurance claims in the past four decades were the 1968 Wahine Storm ($200 million), the1987 Bay of Plenty earthquake ($357 million), and the 2004 Manawatu floods ($112 million).

The Earthquake Commission received nearly 9000 claims compared to 6519 in 2007 and 2167 in 2006. Earthquakes generated the largest number of claims at 6589, with most of these coming from the magnitude 6.8 December 2007 Gisborne earthquake.

Too much rain and not enough rain dominated as the most costly and damaging natural hazards in 2008, with earthquakes having a slightly quieter year than normal.

Other notable hazards included hail in Canterbury and landslides in Auckland that together caused damage in excess of $20 million.

The Natural Hazards Centre is a joint initiative of GNS Science and NIWA. Its annual review publication includes:

• Summaries of the main natural hazards in 2008 with graphics and analysis of key events
• Reports from the Insurance Council and Earthquake Commission
• Reports from the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, and the National Engineering Lifelines Committee
• Summaries of major hazards research projects being undertaken by NIWA and GNS Science

The report is available at: www.naturalhazards.net.nz/publications/natural_hazards_2008

Notable events in 2008

Landslides
• GNS Science recorded 313 significant landslides, mostly triggered by rainstorms. The wet Auckland winter re-activated many old landslides.

Earthquakes
• There were 26 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 and above. This is about average for New Zealand.

Drought
• The severe summer drought cost New Zealand an estimated $1 billion and sheep numbers fell by 11 percent due to the dry conditions.

Other weather-related hazards in 2008
• Ten tornadoes, including one that left six houses uninhabitable in Cambridge
• Wind gusts of up to 174km/h hit many areas in the northern half of the North Island on 26 July
• In Waikato, it was the driest January in over 100 years of records

The Natural Hazards Centre was established in 2002 by government-owned research and consultancy organisations NIWA and GNS Science. Its role is to provide New Zealanders with a single point of contact for the latest research, resources, and scientific expertise. Its strength lies in multi-disciplinary skills for delivering world-class research to emergency and resource managers, the science community, planners, and policy-makers.

ENDS

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