Response: What to do in an emergency
This page provides messages about response.
Emergencies like earthquakes, floods, storms, tsunami and volcanic eruptions can strike at any time, sometimes without warning. They can be immensely disrupting, threatening property and lives. Knowing what to do during an emergency will help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Depending on the situation, you may need to take extra measures. Find out about specific hazards here:
During an emergency, some houses, streets, and neighbourhoods may not be safe to stay in and you may have to leave home in a hurry.
If you are asked to evacuate, the easiest place to go is to friends or whānau/family who live outside the area affected by the emergency. If that isn’t an option, you may be given specific instructions about where to go – for example, to an emergency evacuation centre or to higher ground.
Evacuation is scary, and it’s not a decision that will be taken lightly. You will not be asked to evacuate unless authorities believe your life may be in danger.
If you have to evacuate
Evacuate immediately if told to do so by authorities. They will not ask you to leave unless they think your life may be in danger. Self-evacuate if you feel unsafe.
Take your grab bag with you if possible, but do not travel into any evacuation zone to collect it if you do not have it with you.
If you don’t have a grab bag, evacuate with the following if possible:
- Cash and personal identification.
- Torch, radio, and water.
- A change of clothes and a sleeping bag or blankets for each household member.
- First aid kit, prescription medications and anything else you might need like dentures, extra eyeglasses, and hearing aid batteries.
- Car keys and house keys.
- USB phone charger.
Take your pets and other animals with you only if it will not delay you. Do not spend time looking for them and do not return to get them if you are not at home.
You should prepare to evacuate on foot or by bicycle if you are able to, especially in a local source tsunami event (Long OR Strong, Get Gone!) where there may only be a few minutes available to get to safety. Evacuating by vehicle can cause congestion and can delay emergency services and people with mobility issues from reaching safety.
If you need to drive, use travel routes specified by local authorities. Some areas may be impassable or dangerous, so avoid “shortcuts”. Do not drive through flood water. If you come upon a barrier, follow posted detour signs.
Preparing to evacuate
There may be times when authorities tell you to prepare to evacuate but you do not need to leave immediately. For example, you may be told to prepare to evacuate when an earthquake on the other side of the Pacific Ocean has generated a large tsunami but it is not expected to arrive in New Zealand for several hours.
Prepare to evacuate by following these steps:
- Put on protective, weather appropriate clothing that covers your arms and legs and sturdy footwear in case you have to move through debris (e.g. if there has been an earthquake).
- Put your grab bag by the door or in your vehicle if you are evacuating by vehicle.
- If you don’t have a grab bag, at least try to take the following:
- Cash and personal identification.
- Torch, radio, and water.
- A change of clothes and a sleeping bag or blankets for each household member.
- First aid kit, prescription medications and anything else you might need like dentures, extra eyeglasses, and hearing aid batteries.
- Car keys and house keys.
- USB phone charger.
- Leave mobile phones on and charged so you can receive Emergency Mobile Alerts.
- Check your local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group’s website or social media channels and listen to the radio or TV for updates.
- Listen to local Civil Defence Emergency Management authorities and follow any instructions regarding evacuation of your area. Self-evacuate if you feel unsafe.
Do not turn off mains gas unless you are advised to do so by local authorities. You will need gas for heating and cooking if you return home. If you turn mains gas off, a licensed professional is required to turn it back on, and it may take weeks for a professional to respond. Turn off the mains gas if you can smell it in your whare/home and cannot determine where it is originating.
If you have pets or other animals
Bring your pets indoors and maintain direct control of them as soon as possible.
Confine pets to one room. Pets may try to run if they feel threatened. Keeping them inside and in one room will allow you to find them quickly when you need to leave.
Get pet carrier boxes and leashes ready.
Take your pets with you when you evacuate – if it is not safe for you, it is not safe for them. Leaving them behind may endanger you, your pets, and emergency responders.
Consider an early evacuation of pets and other animals, especially if you have lots of animals, or large animals. Waiting to evacuate animals until the last minute can be fatal for them and dangerous for you.
If it is too dangerous for you to leave your current location, you may need to take shelter wherever you are. How and where to shelter in place depends on the emergency, so short-term in-place shelter is described in the sections dealing with specific hazards.
You may be asked to shelter in place at your wāhi mahi / workplace, at kura/school or another location. You should stay there either until you are asked to evacuate, or until you are told it is safe to leave.
In most emergencies, it’s best to stay in your own home if it is safe to do so. You should leave your home if you are not safe or you have been told to evacuate.
- Stay home and off the roads if you can. Roads may be damaged, and it is important to keep them clear for emergency services.
Sometimes, emergencies make it unsafe for people to leave their homes. If you have been asked to shelter at home, you should stay there until you are asked to evacuate, or until local authorities say it is safe to leave.
- Turn off utilities if told to do so by authorities. Authorities may ask you to turn off water or electricity supply to prevent damage to your whare/home or within the community.
- Do not turn off mains gas unless you are explicitly advised to do so by local authorities. You will need it for heating and cooking. If you turn mains gas off, a licensed professional is required to turn it back on, and it may take weeks for a professional to respond.
- Turn off the mains gas if you can smell it in your whare/home and cannot determine where it is originating.
- Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Candles cause fires and are quiet and easily forgotten. They can tip over with a gust of wind and during earthquake shaking.
- Unplug small appliances. Small appliances may be affected by electrical power surges. Unplugging them reduces potential damage.
- Bring pets indoors and, if possible, keep them in one room so you can find them quickly if you need to leave the house.
Eat the food in your fridge first, then your freezer – remember the more times you open the door, the quicker things will go off. After that eat the food in the cupboard or your emergency kit.
Do not use candles if the power goes out. Candles cause fires and are quiet and easily forgotten. They can tip over with a gust of wind or during earthquake shaking.
Cell phone towers can also lose power, so you may lose reception. Keep your charger handy for when the power comes back on – put your phone on charge immediately, in case the power drops out again.
You may be able to charge your phone with your car’s battery using a car charger. Many newer cars also have USB ports. Make sure the engine is running while charging so you don’t drain the car’s battery. If your car is in a garage, drive the car outside to avoid carbon monoxide building.
Treat every powerline as live, even if it’s on the ground. Call your local network provider to report any powerlines that are down or are at risk of coming down.
If your electricity meter has been damaged, contact your electricity retailer (the company you pay your power bill to), and they’ll work with the metering company and lines company to arrange repairs. Don’t attempt to repair the meter yourself.
Stay warm. Preserve heat by closing doors and windows and pulling curtains and blinds. Put extra layers of clothing on to keep warm. Don’t wait until you are cold because it will be hard to warm up again.
Do not use outdoor gas appliances indoors
Do not use outdoor gas appliances such as patio heaters, camping cookers and barbecues indoors. These appliances do not have the safety systems as indoor heating appliances which will shut off the gas supply when oxygen levels are depleted and high levels of carbon monoxide are present.
Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas. Prolonged or high-level exposure can cause collapse, unconsciousness and even death. Breathing small amounts of carbon monoxide can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, tiredness and vomiting.
If you suspect you have been exposed to carbon monoxide, immediately move into fresh air and seek medical attention. If it can be done safely, turn off the appliance and ventilate the room or area.
Normal household services such as water supplies, waste disposal (including sewerage) and refrigeration may break down during emergencies, such as floods. This can pose a health risk.
Because food and water are easily contaminated during emergencies, you need to take extra care to avoid getting sick.
Food safety during power failures
- Eat foods that will expire soon first – such as bread, meat, salads, and dairy products. These spoil more quickly than non-perishable food.
- Eat canned and non-perishable pantry foods last.
- Open your fridge and freezer as little as possible to help keep it cooler for longer. Unopened fridges should hold refrigeration temperature for 4 hours.
- Leave already frozen food in the freezer if possible. Freezers will remain colder for longer if they are full (2–4 days) than if they are half full (1–2 days).
Once the power is back on, check the food in your freezer.
- If the food is still visibly frozen (for example, if it still has ice crystals on it) and the packaging isn’t damaged or open, you can safely refreeze it.
- If the food has thawed, you should not refreeze it.
- You can still keep or use thawed food if it has not started to look or smell bad. Keep it cold (like in the fridge) until you eat or cook it.
Feeding your baby safely during an emergency
Babies are at more risk of becoming dehydrated or getting an infection, so they need special care and attention in an emergency.
Emergencies may affect your ability to communicate by telephone, especially if electricity is cut off. Telephone networks require electricity to operate, both at the customer’s end and at the telephone exchange or cell tower.
Use text messages to contact whānau/family and friends during emergencies. Mobile networks can become overloaded during emergencies, making it hard to make and receive phone calls. Text messages take up very little room on the network so thousands of texts can be sent in the same space as a few voice calls. Try to only make voice calls if it’s urgent, like calling 111 if lives are in danger.
Fixed telephones or landlines
If you have a fibre connection, your phone will not work if the power is off.
If you have a copper connection, a wired phone may work but only if the exchange or local cabinet is backed up by a generator.
A cordless phone won’t work if your home power is off.
If your landline phone is not working, you will not be able to use it to dial 111.
- The Commerce Commission 111 Contact Code details measures being taken to protect vulnerable customers who may not have access to 111 services in event of a power failure.
Mobile phones
Mobile phones will work so long as the device and the connecting cell tower have electricity.
Even if your mobile phone says you have no network connection you may still be able to ring 111.
If you have a mobile phone, consider buying a portable power bank and keeping it in an easy-to-find place.
Conserve your battery power by avoiding voice calls unless it is essential. Use TXT messages instead where possible and avoid using data for non-essential communications (e.g. watching videos).
If there is poor or no mobile coverage, but you have a working WiFi connection, you may be able to make and receive calls and text messages using WiFi calling. Depending on your phone model and mobile provider, WiFi calling may or may not be available. To find out if your phone is compatible visit your mobile phone provider’s website.
Satellite services
Satellite services require electricity to operate. If you rely on satellite services for connectivity you may wish to consider a generator for power needs at home.
Satellite services may not function if line of sight with the sky is compromised.
Emergencies may affect travel plans for people currently in or planning to visit Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you are travelling throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, check with your travel agent or airline about current conditions.
Most emergencies are managed at the local level. For local emergency updates, check the relevant council’s website, as well as the local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group’s website and social media.
The National Emergency Management Agency is responsible for issuing national emergency updates and tsunami warnings. Tsunami warnings and information will be published on the National Emergency Management Agency’s website and the @nzcivildefence X (Twitter) channel. Tsunami warnings will also be broadcast on radio and television.
Stay up to date with the latest weather information from MetService, Te Ratonga Tirorangi, New Zealand’s National Weather Service. Pay attention to Watches and Warnings, which are also available on the MetService mobile app. You can enable push notifications for Red Severe Weather Warnings and Extreme Fire Danger risk on the mobile app. You can also sign up for severe weather notification emails on the MetService website.
If you are already in New Zealand and driving yourself, keep safe on our roads by checking traffic and travel updates from Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency) before you go.
If you have a rental car or campervan and are having trouble returning your vehicle as planned, contact the rental company directly.
You can find information about inter-island ferry travel at www.interislander.co.nz and www.bluebridge.co.nz.
New Zealand’s visitor information network is also available to talk to you about travel options. You can find your nearest isite Visitor Information Centre at isite.nz.
If you are a foreign national, you can also contact your Embassy or High Commission in New Zealand. Contact details for foreign representatives to New Zealand are available at www.mfat.govt.nz/en/embassies/.
You need to have a valid visa to stay in New Zealand. If your visa is close to expiry and you cannot return home, check for updated information from Immigration New Zealand. If you hold a Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Limited Visa in an affected area, contact your employer or your Pacific liaison person.
Information about what to do before, during and after an emergency is provided in a range of languages and alternate formats at www.getready.govt.nz.