Waimea Intermediate kids taking part in earthquake and tsunami drill ShakeOut. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders took part in an earthquake drill this morning, but figures show only one in five households is prepared for a natural disaster.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty joined students at Waimea Intermediate School in Nelson for ShakeOut, New Zealand's annual earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi to practice disaster preparedness.
"We all need to know what to do in an earthquake, what to do if we get a tsunami alert and not only know today but get it in our minds so that when it hits it is second nature."
More than 700,000 people signed up to take part in the event around the country.
In the 2021 General Social Survey, 47 percent of people said their household had enough water and 83 percent had enough food for three days; just 31 percent of people said their household had an emergency plan.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty says knowing what to do in an emergency should become second nature Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
McAnulty said the results showed that many people were waiting until an emergency happened to get prepared but ShakeOut was a reminder to take steps early and engaging with youth was a key part of that.
"I think we all remember back in the day when we were at school and we would have days like today, we would go home and talk about it with our family and that just helps to reinforce the message ... they are the ones that kick everything into gear and get provisions in place."
He said practising the right actions to stay safe in an emergency was crucial so that knowing what to do became second nature.
Stats NZ wellbeing and housing statistics manager Sarah Drake said many households were unprepared for a natural disaster such as an earthquake, flood, or tsunami.
Basic preparations include having enough food and water for three days and a household emergency plan in the event of a natural disaster.
"While most households had enough food, only around half had enough water. In the event of a disaster, households should have enough water for three days, which is at least 9 litres for each person."
Waimea Intermediate kids taking part in earthquake and tsunami drill ShakeOut Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
In the last eight years, the proportion of people who said their household was prepared for an emergency was relatively unchanged from 22 percent in 2014 when the data was last collected.
The figures show people in rural areas and Wellington are more prepared than the national average, while those in Auckland were among the least prepared.
It also found homeowners were more prepared than renters.
Those aged 25-45 were found to be less prepared than those aged over 45.
More than a decade after the Christchurch earthquakes, basic emergency preparedness in Canterbury has declined to 25 percent in 2021, down from 40 percent in 2012.
Canterbury preparedness increased between 2008 and 2012, with the proportion of people with prepared households almost tripling.
The government has been taking action to strengthen New Zealand's readiness for a natural disaster including launching a nationwide tsunami evacuation map, rolling out the Emergency Mobile Alert system, and opening NEMA's 24/7 Monitoring, Alerting and Reporting (MAR) Centre.