Southland earthquake a warning for Wellingtonians

Last night’s 7.8 earthquake in Southland would cause destruction on a massive scale if it occurred in the Wellington region, says Fran Wilde, Chair of Greater Wellington Regional Council.

“Luckily the Southland earthquake occurred in a very remote area and caused little damage to buildings and infrastructure, but it was another timely reminder for residents in our region to be ready should this happen to us.

“In a quake of this size, buildings would collapse killing, injuring and trapping hundreds, even thousands of people. Lifeline services such as water supply, sewage systems, road, rail and sea access, electricity and gas networks and telecommunications would be severely affected or destroyed.

“Due to the topography and geography of the Wellington region, and limited access via the two state highways, cities and districts would be isolated from each other leaving us on what would become virtual islands in a sea of emptiness.”

Fran Wilde said Civil Defence and other emergency management agencies in the region had plans for search and rescue, the treatment and movement of the injured, the welfare needs of people, medical and health issues, sanitation and the restoration of lifeline services. “However, people need to realise that they may be on their own for at least three days, probably much longer depending on the severity of the event.

“The question all Wellingtonians should ask ourselves is: how prepared am I?

“Civil defence starts with the individual person. We all need to be aware of the hazards and risks we may face and be prepared for them. We need to know what to do, what to have, and where to go to get help or to provide help.”
The simplest way of doing it is to:

- Store water – at least 3 litres per person per day for at least three days. This is only survival water for drinking. You’ll need more for hygiene and food preparation. Also understand that mains water supply may be cut for days, weeks or months. So be prepared to fetch water from tankers, rivers and streams.

- Have a survival kit –emergency food, hygiene items, medical supplies, clothing, important documents, radio, torch, means to prepare food, etc.

- Have a household emergency plan – know where to turn off water, power, gas etc and who will go where in the household (e.g. parents working in Wellington and children at school in the Hutt Valley – where will they meet?).

Please contact your nearest city or district council for more information and/or check the back of your Yellow Pages. You’ll find some valuable information in there.

ENDS

For media comment, please contact:
Fran Wilde
Chair, Greater Wellington Regional Council
T: 04 802 0346