The high cost of storms
Sstranded tourists in the South Island, snow in Dannevirke and Rotorua, strong winds in Wellington, hail the size of golf balls, and trampolines that are flung from suburban backyards – we are weather obsessed in New Zealand.
Not just because snow is picturesque and floods look dramatic on TV, or because we still think of ourselves as primarily rugged outdoor types dependent on agriculture, but because very bad weather can stop everything here.
Every winter reminds us that we are a country at the mercy of changeable weather and natural disasters. When the Kaikoura earthquake closed the main freight line between Christchurch and Picton in November last year, it was noted that the longer, inland route through the Lewis Pass was often closed by snow in winter.
And so it came to pass. Of course, ferry sailings between Wellington and Picton were cancelled as well, due to strong winds and high waves. Further north, highways on the Central Plateau were closed.
At such times, entire supply lines are disrupted. The route through the Lewis Pass was already a Plan B and there is no Plan C. It went almost unnoticed that this week’s weather left struggling Kaikoura isolated all over again.
The Ngauranga Gorge in Wellington closed twice this week – first after a ‘‘debris avalanche’’, and then to repair a sign in strong winds. Flights were delayed and cancelled at Wellington Airport and, as noted, ferries were cancelled. Wellingtonians do not need to be reminded that their precarious location is especially vulnerable to weather events and potential disasters.
The conventional wisdom is that storms will only get worse and more frequent due to climate change. Rising sea levels will increase the risk of flooding. Discussions of climate change in New Zealand have focused mainly on the risks of drought in summer but we should also prepare for greater storms in winter.
Do we need better contingency planning in New Zealand? Are we as prepared as we should be? And are we too reliant on long-distance freight rather than goods and products that are locally sourced?
These are not just questions for local and central government. They are also questions for small and mediumsized businesses and even households.
In the immediate wake of the Canterbury earthquakes, there was a flurry of national interest in checking whether households were equipped with emergency survival kits. Is your phone always charged and within reach? Do you have bottles of water stashed? How about food and candles? Could you be self-sufficient for days, if you had to be?
Being ready for anything came and went, as all fads do. But weather events such as the storm that’s hit New Zealand this week remind us of the importance of being prepared and of changing and updating plans when necessary. Above all, it reminds us not to be complacent.
It also reminds us to listen to experts and to take them seriously. How many of the drivers stranded on roads thought that warnings did not apply to them? Or thought that flake news was fake news? We have seen enough disasters to know it is not worth taking risks.