Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

January 24, 2021: A series of earthquakes have been recorded near Rotorua, New Zealand.  According to the GeoNet, around 70 tremors have been recorded across Bay of Plenty and Rotorua area. The largest earthquake was measured 4.9 on the Richter Scale  with the epicenter located around 20 km east of Rotorua. At 7.57am an earthquake measuring 4.5 struck at a depth of 8 km, 20 km east of Rotorua. There are dozens of earthquakes between 3.3 and 3.8 magnitude that are part of what GeoNet is calling a swarm - all centred in the same location. GeoNet received more than 4,000 earthquake felt reports. While, the Earthquake Commission also received ten damage claims till the evening. GeoNet twitter message "This looks like a swarm - we often see these in this area (the Okataina volcanic centre), and there were small foreshocks yesterday. The last swarm with quakes of this size was in Rotoehu in July 2004."

June 20, 2020: A light earthquake of magnitude 3.2 has been felt in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand today at 10:02 am. According to the GeoNet , the earthquake's epicenter was located 5 km south of Christchurch. The earthquake occurred at 5 km depth. GeoNet has received more than 3,000 earthquake felt report.Most of the people share a light intensity earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) , since 1900 there have been 15 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded near New Zealand. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake in Christchurch in 2011 killed around 185 people.

December 10, 2019: At least six people are dead, eight missing and 31 others have been injured after White Island volcano erupted in New Zealand . The injured people in the New Zealand volcanic eruption have suffered extensive burns to their bodies and lungs. The injured are aged between 13 and 72. Whilte Island volcano tragedy happened at 2:11 p.m. local time when the volcano erupted releasing thick clouds of ash about 12,000 feet into the air. The volcano erupted while tourists and tour guides were touring the volcano, including many visitors from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Ovation of the Seas. The citizens from New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia are among those injured and missing following the volcanic eruption in New Zealand. Whakaari/White Island is an active volcano, situated 48 km from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty.

December 13, 2016: An earthquake warning post on Facebook by a man named Nigel Antony Gray has gone viral in New Zealand. Nigel Antony Gray has predicted a major earthquake in East Cape today. Nigel Antony Gray is the same person who claimed to have predicted last month's 7.8 magnitude Kaikoura earthquake .

According to the GeoNet, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand's South Island at midnight, some 20 km SE of Hanmer Springs and 95 km from Christchurch on November 14, 2016. A tsunami alert has been issued for all coastal areas of New Zealand. Below are latest updates: Updates -Two people confirmed dead. One of them died after being trapped in a collapsed building in Kaikoura. Another person died in Mt Lyford. -The tsunami warnings were downgraded to coastal warnings on Monday later morning. -Helicopters were deployed to move people and resources to Kaikoura. A Welfare Centre was open at the Kaikoura Marae. Update 15:30 UTC Find the latest media release from the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management.

Magnitude 7.1 severe earthquake rattled New Zealand with epicenter located 167km NNE of Gisborne and 257km E of Tauranga. According to a spokeswoman for Insurance Council New Zealand, no significant damage had been reported to the authority this morning. The quake also cut power to about 1000 homes in Eastern Bay of Plenty,  NZHerald  reported.

Source: GeoNet An eruption occurred at White Island (Whaakari) volcano in New Zealand about 9:50 pm on 27 April 2016, GeoNet  volcanologist Agnes Mazot confirmed. GNS volcanologists found dark-green ash deposit from the eruption covering at least 80% of the floor of Main Crater, and up the sides of the crater wall on both the north and south sides.

Magnitude 4.0 light earthquake rattled Whakatane town of New Zealand at 02:25 pm Wednesday afternoon. According to GeoNet, the epicenter was located 10 km north-east of Opotiki. The earthquake occurred at 46 km depth.

Cliffs have collapsed in New Zealand during a magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Christchurch on Valentine Day, February 14, 2016. Severe earthquake with MM 7 or greater occurred at 01:13 pm Saturday afternoon at 15 km depth, according to GeoNet , which monitors seismic activity in New Zealand. The epicenter was located 15 km east of Christchurch.

Storm damage at at the old Gore hospital (Gore District Council via Stuff) Heavy storm in South Canterbury and Otago region of New Zeland have caused widespread power outage and fire. The damage caused to the power network was the worst Southland and Otago had seen in 20 years, Stuff has written quoting PowerNet chief executive Jason Franklin.

Tornado captured in Dubbo (Mel Sharkey/Stuff) A tornado in New South Wales town of Dubbo has damaged at least seven houses, scattered debris and uprooted trees. Roads were flooded across Sydney and the Illawarra, with the emergency services rescuing people stranded in cars after driving into floodwaters, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Millions of dollars’ worth of gold and silver have been located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. According to a report published in the journal Geothermics, at least six deep reservoirs expected to yield high levels of gold and silver have been identified. High grade deposits of precious and other types of metals are said to dissolve in magma-heated water, or hot springs.

Magnitude 4.7 earthquake in Dunedin today, that rocked parts of Otago, is believed to be the strongest tremor experienced in the region in 41 years. The last earthquake in Dunedin to cause damage was a Richter scale magnitude 5 quake just off Dunedin on April 9, 1974.

Heavy rainfall triggered flooding in Dunedin and caused power to about 150 homes. Dunedin City Council road maintenance engineer Peter Standring said Radio New Zealand that some residents in south Dunedin had used sandbags to protect property and had considered moving out.

A tornado has caused damage in Taranaki town, near New Plymouth, ripping off a roof and uprooting trees. A petrol station in a Taranaki town was damaged by the tornado, Radio New Zealand mentioned. The storm set off sirens and car alarms, New Zealand news and information website, Stuff has written quoting the local resident.

This list contains all major natural disasters in New Zealand in 2014 with detail report. Click for most recent natural disasters in New Zealand February 2014 February 23: Hail storm, tornado in Canterbury damage houses Hail storm and tornado that swept through Amberley in north Christchurch have damaged at least three houses.

Hail storm and tornado that swept through Amberley in north Christchurch have damaged at least three houses. Lightning strikes have caused a small fire in Halswell. More than 1,000 homes in Canterbury have lost electricity, Stuff.co.nz reported quoting power company Orion. Original post: Natural Disasters List February 23, 2014

White island volcano eruption in New Zealand has send plume of steam and ash about four kilometers into the air. According to Geo Net, white island volcano erupted for 10 minutes at 10.23am. However people living in the Bay of Plenty are not at risk, Officials said. White island volcanic alert level has been raised from one to two and the aviation colour code from green to red. Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is currently monitoring the situation of White Island volcano. Below ia you tube video of White Island volcano eruption on August 20, 2013. Whakaari/White Island is an active stratovolcano, situated 48 km from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty. Original post: Natural Disasters List August 20, 2013

White Island volcano in New Zealand has shown a minor volcanic activity, GNS Science said. GNS Science has raised the alert to level one and the aviation code to yellow. White Island volcano is ejecting debris 20 to 30 metres into the air, THe New Zealand Herald has written quoting a Volcanologist. However the increase in White Island volcanic activity is not related to the Cook Strait earthquakes. Wellington emergency management office was activated after severe earthquake in New Zealand some days ago. Whakaari/White Island is an active stratovolcano, situated 48 km from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty. Original post: Natural Disasters List July 26, 2013

Updates Several buildings and roads in Wellington and Malborough are damaged. According to Wellington City Council's emergency management office, earthquake has also caused some damage to a council building in Wakefield Street. At least one person has been reported injured in Kapiti . According to Waikato Times, there have been no reports of earthquake-related emergency callouts in the Waikato. Wellington City Council's emergency management office has been activated due to today's earthquake. Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown has urged people to prepare an emergency kit in case there are any more quakes. Following the New Zealand National Crisis Management Centre, there is no tsunami threat. USGS has decreased the magnitude to 6.5. Wellington earthquake today was caused as a result of oblique thrust faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Pacific and Australia plates, USGS added. Related post: List of natural calamities in New Zealand M 6.9 sever