Declared States of Emergency

This page lists the declared States of Emergency since 2002. Note: not all emergencies have had a state of emergency declared.

Declaring a state of emergency is a critical part of New Zealand’s response arrangements. It is the declaration of a state of emergency that provides Controllers and others with extra-ordinary powers designed to deliver an effective and swift response.

More detail about states of local emergency, and some useful tools, are available here, under the heading 'Emergency Declarations and Powers'.



Year Region Hazard Type Locality Start Date End Date Declared Days Comment

2002

Waikato

Flooding

Putararu & Tirau Wards

21/06/2002

23/06/2002

2

"Weather Bomb", water supply issues, road closures, no evacuations

2002

Waikato

Flooding

District

21/06/2002

23/06/2002

2

Up-scaled to District SOE, 1 death, evacuations required

2003

Wellington

Flooding

District

4/10/2003

9/10/2003

5

Damage to Paekakariki, evacuations required, duration of SOE due to clean-up

2004

Marlborough

Flooding

Picton Ward

17/02/2004

18/02/2004

1

Evacuations due to fear of landslip-induced dam break

2004

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

District

16/02/2004

17/02/2004

1

Up-scaled to Regional SOE

2004

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Marton Ward

16/02/2004

17/02/2004

1

Up-scaled to Regional SOE

2004

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Region

17/02/2004

25/02/2004

8

"Weather Bomb", infrastructure disruptions, evacuations required

2004

Taranaki

Flooding

Patea Ward

17/02/2004

27/02/2004

10

Water supply issues, road closures, evacuations required

2004

Bay of Plenty

Flooding

Waiotahi Ward

17/07/2004

23/07/2004

6

Road closures, 1 death, evacuations required

2004

Bay of Plenty

Flooding

Whakatane Ward

17/07/2004

30/07/2004

13

Infrastructure disruptions, 1 death, evacuations required

2005

Bay of Plenty

Landslides

Edgecumbe-Tarawera Ward

17/05/2005

30/05/2005

13

Matata township damage due to debris flows

2005

Bay of Plenty

Landslides

Tauranga

18/05/2005

19/05/2005

1

Evacuations required, formally declared (?)

2006

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Region

7/07/2006

8/07/2006

1

SOE declared overnight to enforce evacuations

2007

Taranaki

Tornado

Region

5/07/2007

7/07/2007

2

Dwelling and property damage

2007

Northland

Flooding

District

10/07/2007

13/07/2007

3

Far North District area, dwelling damage

2007

Otago

Flooding

Milton Ward

30/07/2007

31/07/2007

1

Localised township flooding, but SOE declared

2007

Gisborne

Earthquake

Gisborne City

21/12/2007

22/12/2007

1

Building damage and power supply issues

2008

Marlborough

Flooding

Picton Ward

30/07/2008

31/07/2008

1

SOE declared to assist Police with evacuations

2009

Waikato

Landslides

Taupo Ward

29/06/2009

30/06/2009

1

Village of Waihi evacuated

2010

Canterbury

Earthquake

Region

4/09/2010

15/09/2010

11

Dwelling and property damage, infrastructure damage

2011

Canterbury

Earthquake

Christchurch City Council

22/02/2011

23/02/2011

1

181 deaths, major infrastructure and dwelling and property damage. Terminated when national state of emergency declared. 

2011

Canterbury

Earthquake

National

23/02/2011

30/04/2011

66

181 deaths, major infrastructure and dwelling and property damage

2011

Hawkes Bay

Flooding

District

28/04/2011

3/05/2011

5

Central Hawke's Bay District area

2011

Nelson-Tasman

Flooding

District

13/12/2011

28/12/2011

15

Dwelling damage, infrastructure damage, evacuations required

2011

Canterbury

Earthquake

Region

23/12/2011

24/12/2011

1

NCMC activated, but stood down shortly thereafter

2012

Nil

-

-

-

-

-

Mt Tongariro unrest; no SOE’s declared

2013

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Whanganui Ward

14/10/2013

15/10/2013

1

Whanganui river threat

2014

Nil

-

-

-

-

-

Auckland power outage; no SOE's declared

2015

Chatham Islands

Cyclone

Chatham Islands

16/03/2015

19/03/2015

3

Cyclone Pam and rural fires

2015

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Rangitikei District

20/06/2015

22/06/2015

2

Dwelling damage, road closures

2015

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Whanganui District

20/06/2015

02/07/2015

12

Largest ever recorded flood in the Wanganui District; Dwelling damage, infrastructure damage, evacuations required

2015

Taranaki

Flooding

South Taranaki District

20/06/2015

27/06/2015

7

Flooding in Waitotara township in South Taranaki; evacuations required

2016

West Coast

Flooding

Westland District

24/03/2016

25/03/2016

1

Waiho River flooding at Franz Josef township; water supply issues, tourism impacts (i.e. loss of revenue)

2016

Canterbury

Earthquake

Region

15/11/2016

06/12/2016

22

Kaikoura Earthquake

2016

Kaikoura

Earthquake

District

14/11/2016

15/11/2016

1

Kaikoura Earthquake

2016

Hurunui

Earthquake

District

14/11/2016

15/11/2016

1

Kaikoura Earthquake

2016

Kaikoura

Earthquake

District

06/12/2016

09/12/2016

4

Kaikoura Earthquake

2016

Dunedin

Earthquake

Dunedin City

14/11/2016

14/11/2016

1

Kaikoura Earthquake

2017

Hawke's Bay

Fire

Hastings District

13/02/2017

15/02/2017

3

Hawke's Bay fires

2017

Canterbury

Fire

Christchurch & Selwyn

15/02/2017

01/03/2017

15

Christchurch Port Hills fires

2017

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Whanganui District

04/04/2017

06/04/2017

3

Declared in advance of expected impacts from Ex Tropical Cyclone Debbie

2017

Manawatu-Wanganui

Flooding

Rangitikei District

04/04/2017

06/04/2017

3

Declared in advance of expected impacts from Ex Tropical Cyclone Debbie

2017

Bay of Plenty

Flooding

Whakatane District

06/04/2017

11/04/2017

6

Edgecumbe flooding. State of local emergency overridden by Bay of Plenty declaration on 11 April 2017.

2017

Bay of Plenty

Flooding

Bay of Plenty

11/04/2017

 14/04/2017

 4

Bay of Plenty CDEM Group declared a state of local emergency covering the whole Bay of Plenty area in anticipation of heavy rainfall. As per the CDEM Act, this state of local emergency overrides the previous, more limited state of emergency over Whakatane District.

2017

Thames-Coromandel

Severe weather

Thames Coromandel District

12/04/2017

14/04/2017 

Declared in advance of expected landfall of Cyclone Cook

2017

Whakatane

Severe Weather

Whakatane District

14/04/2017

21/04/2017

7

Local state of emergency declared for the Whakatane District to enable the continued response to Edgecumbe and the surrounding areas. 

2017

Otago

Flooding

Dunedin City

21/07/2017

21/07/2017

1

State of local emergency overridden by Group declaration on 21 July 2017.

2017

Otago

Flooding

Clutha District

21/07/2017

21/07/2017

1

State of local emergency overridden by Group declaration on 21 July 2017.

2017

Otago

Flooding

Waitaki District

21/07/2017

21/07/2017

1

State of local emergency overridden by Group declaration on 21 July 2017.

2017

Otago

Flooding

Waitaki, Clutha and Dunedin City

21/07/2017

24/07/2017

4

Otago CDEM Group declaration for Waitaki, Clutha and Dunedin City. Declaration terminated on 24 July 2017 when local transition period came into force.

2017

Canterbury

Flooding

Timaru District

21/07/2017

22/07/2017

2

Flooding across district.

2017

Canterbury

Flooding

Selwyn District

21/07/2017

24/07/2017

4

Declaration owing to rising flood waters and the need to evacuate in Springs Ward.

2017

Canterbury

Flooding

Christchurch City

22/07/2017

25/07/2017

4

Declaration terminated on 25 July 2017 when local transition period came into force.

2018

Otago

Severe weather

Dunedin City

01/02/2018

02/02/2018

2

Declared in advance of expected landfall of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Fehi.

2018

West Coast

Severe weather

Buller District

01/02/2018

03/02/2018

3

Declared in advance of expected landfall of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Fehi.

2018

Canterbury

Severe weather

Christchurch City

20/02/2018

21/02/2018

2

Declared in advance of Cyclone Gita.

2018

West Coast

Severe weather

Buller District

20/02/2018

21/02/2018

2

Declaration owing to risk to life and households from Cyclone Gita

2018

West Coast

Severe weather

Grey District

20/02/2018

21/02/2018

2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gita

2018

Canterbury

Severe weather

Selwyn District

20/02/2018

21/02/2018

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gita

2018

Nelson-Tasman

Severe weather

Region

20/02/2018

23/02/2018 

 4

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gita

2018

West Coast

Severe weather

Westland District

20/02/2018

21/02/2018

2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gita

2018

Taranaki

Severe weather

Region

20/02/2018

21/02/2018

2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gita. Group state of emergency terminated on 21/02/2018 and replaced by local state of emergency for New Plymouth

2018

Taranaki

Severe weather

New Plymouth District

21/02/2018

25/02/2018

 5

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gita

2018

Bay of Plenty

Severe weather

Ngongotaha, Rotorua District

29/04/2018

06/05/2018

 7

Declaration owing to extreme flooding event

2019

Nelson-Tasman

Fire

Region

06/02/2019

27/02/2019  21

Declaration owing to the effects of the Pigeon Valley Fire

2019

West Coast

Severe Weather

Westland District

26/03/2019

29/03/2019

Declaration owing to severe weather event

2019

Canterbury

Flooding

Timaru District

07/12/2019

13/12/2019 

Declaration owing to flooding in the Rangitata area

2020

Southland

Flooding

Fiordland Community Board Area

03/02/2020

04/02/2020   1

Declaration owing to flooding in Fiordland. Replaced by region-wide declaration on 4 February.

2020

Southland

Flooding

Region

04/02/2020

18/02/2020   14

Declaration owing to extensive flooding in Southland region, including Gore. Declaration extended on 10 February for a further seven days. State of emergency ended on 18 February and replaced by a transition notice.

2020

Otago

Flooding

Clutha District

04/02/2020

07/02/2020 

Declaration owing to widespread flooding in Clutha District

2020

National

Pandemic

National

25/03/2020

13/05/2020  49 

A nationwide state of national emergency was declared on 25 March 2020 at 12:21pm due to COVID-19 and was extended six times. The state of national emergency ended on 13 May 2020 at 12:21pm and was replaced by a National Transition Period. The state of national emergency covered all of New Zealand including the Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, and other offshore islands. 

2020

Hawkes Bay

Flooding

Napier City

09/11/2020

13/11/2020 4

Declaration owing to flooding in Napier City

2021

Canterbury

Severe weather

Ashburton District

30/05/2021

30/05/2021

1

Declaration due to the severe weather event impacting the Mid Canterbury Region. Replaced by region-wide declaration on 30 May 2021.

2021

Canterbury

Severe weather

Timaru District

30/05/2021

30/05/2021

1

Declaration due to heavy rain. Replaced by region-wide declaration on 30 May 2021.

2021

Canterbury

Flooding

Selwyn District

30/05/2021

30/05/2021

1

Declaration due to flooding. Replaced by region-wide declaration on 30 May 2021.

2021

Canterbury

Flooding

Region

30/05/2021

 10/06/2021 12 

Declaration owing to severe flooding across the region. At 4:00pm on 3 June 2021 the state of local emergency was terminated for the Kaikoura District Council, Christchurch City Council and Waimate District Council. At 4:00pm on 3 June 2021 the state of local emergency was extended for the areas of the Waimakariri District Council, Selwyn District Council and Ashburton District Council. The state of local emergency expired at 4:00pm on 10 June 2021.

2021

Wellington

Coastal hazards

Wellington City Southern and Eastern wards

29/06/2021

30/06/2021

Declaration owing to the severe sea swell event affecting the Wellington South Coast

2021

West Coast

Flooding

Buller District 

16/07/2021

 06/08/2021 22 

Declaration owing to risk to persons as a result of flooding from river and coastal inundation. Declarations extending the state of local emergency were made on 23 July 2021 and 29 July 2021. The state of local emergency was terminated at 1.15pm on 6 August and replaced with a notice of local transition period.

2021

Marlborough

Flooding

Marlborough District

17/07/2021

28/07/2021

11

Declaration owing to heavy rainfall and consequential flooding. A declaration extending the state of local emergency was made on 23 July 2021. The state of local emergency was terminated at 12.01pm on 28 July and replaced with a notice of local transition period.

2021

Tairawhiti

Flooding

Region

04/11/2021

05/11/2021

1

Declaration owing to flooding caused by heavy rain was made at 2:00pm on 4 November 2021. The state of local emergency was lifted at 3:40pm on 5 November 2021 after the rain abated and water levels around the region dropped.

2022

Buller

Severe Weather

District

02/02/2022

05/02/2022

4

Declaration owing to severe weather expected to cause flooding in Westport.  Westport residents were advised to self-evacuate to friends and family outside Westport if possible and a mandatory evacuation order was issued for parts of Westport on 4 February 2022. The impacts of the severe weather were not as bad as initially expected and evacuated residents were allowed to return home on the morning of 5 February 2022.

2022

Buller

Severe Weather

District

10/02/2022

21/02/2022

11

Declaration owing to further rain impacts on the district. The state of local emergency was lifted at 4:15pm on 21 February and replaced with a notice of local transition period.

2022

Tairāwhiti

Severe Weather

Region

23/03/2022

01/04/2022

9

Declaration owing to severe weather and heavy rainfall, and the need to evacuate persons affected. Declaration extended on 29 March 2022. The state of local emergency was terminated at 10:30am on 1 April 2022 when a transition period came into effect.

2022

Canterbury

Flooding

Pleasant Point - Temuka Ward

20/07/2022

27/07/2022 

Declaration owing to heavy rain flood event. The state of local emergency expired on 27 July 2022 and replaced with a notice of local transition period.

2022

West Coast

Severe Weather

Region

16/08/2022

 23/08/22  7

Declaration owing to severe weather event impacting the West Coast

2022

Nelson-Tasman

Severe Weather

Nelson Tasman Emergency Management Group Area

17/08/22

31/08/22   14

Declaration owing to severe weather event and evacuations. The declaration was extended on 22 August 2022

2022

Marlborough

Severe Weather

District

19/08/22

 26/08/22  7

Declaration owing to impacts of severe weather

2023

Tairāwhiti

Severe Weather

District

10/01/2023

20/01/2023 10

Declaration owing to the impact of ex-tropical Cyclone Hale

2023

Auckland

Severe Weather

Region

27/01/23

 14/02/23  16

Declaration owing to severe weather. The declaration was extended on 3 February 2023 and again on 9 February 2023. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Waikato

Severe Weather

Waitomo District

28/01/23

30/01/23 2

Declaration owing to severe weather causing flooding.

2023

Northland

Severe Weather

Region

31/01/23

01/02/23 1

Declared as a precautionary step ahead of severe weather.

2023

Waikato

Severe Weather

Thames-Coromandel District

03/02/23

 14/02/23 11 

Declared as pre-emptive step due to the potential for land slips and further erosion. The declaration was extended on 9 February 2023. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Northland

Severe Weather

Region

12/02/23

14/02/23 3

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Bay of Plenty

Severe Weather

Ōpōtiki District

13/02/23

14/02/23 2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Bay of Plenty

Severe Weather

Whakatane District

13/02/23

14/02/23 2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Waikato

Severe Weather

Waikato District

13/02/23

14/02/23 2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Waikato 

Severe Weather

Hauraki District

13/02/23

14/02/23 2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Tairāwhiti

Severe Weather

Region

13/02/23

14/02/23 2

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended on 14 February 2023 when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Hawke's Bay

Severe Weather

Region

14/02/2023

14/02/2023 1

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended the same day when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

Manawatu-Whanganui

Severe Weather

Tararua District

14/02/23

14/02/23 1

Declaration owing to Cyclone Gabrielle. The state of local emergency ended the same day when a State of National Emergency was declared.

2023

National

Severe Weather

Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay Regions and Tararua District

14/02/23

14/03/23 28

At 8:43am on 14 February 2023 a State of National Emergency declared owing to Cyclone Gabrielle for the Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay Regions. A further declaration was made at 1:17pm on 14 February to include the Tararua District. The state of national emergency was extended on Tuesday the 21st of February, Tuesday the 28th of February, and Tuesday the 7th of March, with each extension lasting an additional seven days. As of the 28th of February, the State of National Emergency concluded for the Bay of Plenty region. On the 3rd of March, the State of National Emergency was concluded in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and the Tararua District. The State of National Emergency, which encompassed Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay, concluded on the 14th of March.

2023

Auckland

Severe weather

Region

09/05/23

11/05/23 2

Declaration owing to severe weather. The state of local emergency was terminated at 9:52 am on 11 May 2023 and replaced with a notice of local tranistion period.

2023

Tairāwhiti

Severe Weather

Region

22/06/23

25/06/23 3

Declaration due to severe weather. The local state of emergency was terminated at 12 noon on 25 June 2023 with a notice of local transition period.

2023

Southland

Flooding

Gore District

21/09/23

23/09/23 2

Declaration due to heavy rainfall causing significant surface flooding. The state of local emergency was terminated on 23 September 2023 when a notice of local transition period was given. 

2023

Otago

Severe weather

Queenstown

22/09/23

23/09/23 1

Declaration due to severe weather causing flooding. The state of local emergency was terminated on 23 September 2023 when a notice of local transition period was given.

2024

West Coast

Severe weather

Westland District

19/01/2024

20/01/2024 1

Declaration due to severe weather. The state of emergency was terminated on 20 January 2024 following the expiry of the red heavy rain warning for Westland.

2024

Southland

Coastal hazards

Waiau Aparima Ward

08/02/2024

   

Declaration due to coastal erosion at Bluecliffs. The declaration was made as a precautionary measure to ensure Emergency Management 
Southland is able to respond to the concerns around the threat to life and property from erosion and the landfill at Bluecliffs. The state of local emergency was extended on 14 February 2024, 20 February 2024, 26 February 2024, 3 March 2024, 10 March 2024.

2024

Canterbury

Fire

Christchurch City and Selwyn District

14/02/2024

21/02/2024 7

State of Local Emergency declared for Christchurch City  and Selwyn District at 6:13pm on 14 February 2024 due to impacts of fire in the Port Hills. The state of emergency was terminated at 1pm on 21 February 2024 when notice of a local transition period was given.