Life after a big earthquake


How will I get what I need?

Food, water and power – what happens next?

In the Wellington region, we are at risk from earthquakes and other hazards. We can expect that communication networks, roads, water systems and other infrastructure will be damaged. However, there are things that you can be doing at home to be prepared. This site helps you, and your whanau, take action to prepare so that you are more resilient to the impacts of a large earthquake.

This site was developed using the following sources:

Make a household plan
Regional overview

In the event of a real emergency, please see https://www.wremo.nz/ for up-to-date information


DISCLAIMER: No infrastructure service can ever be guaranteed, especially following a major event such as a rupture of the Wellington fault. Please note that in an actual event the services available will depend on exactly what damage has happened and what staff are available to respond.

Community Emergency Hubs are places for neighbours to gather and help one another after a major emergency. These Hubs are opened and run by community members like you, not government or ‘Civil Defence’. Community members may choose to open a Hub if they need it - some Hubs may open quickly after the event, in the following days to weeks, or not at all if there is no need. To find out how you can help your neighbours and wider community in an emergency, visit wremo.nz/community.

This explorer has been developed in 2021-2022 by Urban Intelligence Ltd as a proof of concept tool to demonstrate planning emergency levels of service for theWellington Region Emergency Management Office.

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Urban Intelligence & WREMO © 2025

Approximate Household Weekly Walking Distance and Planning Emergency Level of Service

Put your address in here
Input your address (e.g. '2 Turnbull Street, Thorndon, Wellington')
Your weekly trips to a:
Place to collect waterSupermarketCommunity emergency hubs
Measurement Mode:
Note:
All distances are for round trips, in kilometers.
All durations assume an average walking speed of 5km/h.

How far would my household need to walk in a week to access key services?

Before a disaster

0-7
Days

8-14 Days

15-30 Days

31-90 Days

90+ Days

Water Distribution Points

The Wellington Region's water supply network crosses earthquake fault lines in multiple places. During a major earthquake, the ground movement is likely to cause severe damage to our water pipes which will cause the service to stop. From eight days after a major event, community water distribution points will be dotted around the region to provide safe and healthy drinking water to those who require it.

Head to https://wremo.nz/get-ready/home-ready/store-water/ and https://www.wellingtonwater.co.nz/resources/topic/emergency-water-3/ for more information.

Supermarkets

Ensure you have emergency supplies such as food and water stored to help get you through a major disaster. When emergency supplies in a household are used up, residents are able to restock supplies at their nearest supermarket.

Head to https://wremo.nz/get-ready/home-ready/emergency-supplies/ for more information on the range of emergency supplies that are useful to a household.

Community Emergency Hubs

In a disaster, official services will be stretched to the point where they must prioritise the most urgent call-outs. A Community Emergency Hub is a place where you and your neighbours can go to help each other in a major emergency. There are 127 Hubs across the Wellington Region. They are located at community facilities and some schools and can be opened by keyholders living in the local area.

Head to https://wremo.nz/get-ready/community-ready/community-emergency-hubs/ for more information.

Total

How are the services in my area impacted?

Working (80%+)
Partially working (PW)
Not working / Not known (NW/NK)

Before a
disaster

0-7
Days

8-14
Days

15-30
Days

31-90
Days

90+
Days

FM/AM Radio & TV

Power

Toilets

Cellphone network

Is your home ready?

Learn more about preparing your home, school, or business here.

Terms and Conditions

Urban Intelligence Limited, The University of Canterbury, and the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (“we” or “us”) have developed the Planning Emergency Levels of Service Explorer (“Platform”), which estimates the potential impact of a Wellington Fault Rupture on communities and infrastructure. This platform is a proof of concept only. By clicking on the button below and/or accessing this website, you agree to accept the following terms, conditions and disclaimer.
1.1
We have prepared the information, modelling and data contained in the platform to ensure risk information is more accessible to build resilience in our communities, infrastructure, and organisations. We accept no duty of care or other liability in respect of the information contained in the platform to any person.
1.2
In the event of supplementary terms and conditions being stipulated for distinct users or the utilisation of the platform, it is established that the client- specific terms and conditions shall take precedence over those articulated in this schedule.
1.3
We provide services related to this platform to help explore the indirect risks of a certain event and build resilience in our assets, organisations, and communities.
1.4
We provide our services by:
(a)
using information on assets and places of value currently available to us;
(b)
modelling possible outcomes based on our own data and data sourced from third parties;
(c)
estimating the vulnerability and resulting damage state and recovery time of assets and places of value to hazards; and
(d)
presenting the information in an accessible and intuitive manner.
1.5
As our services and models are an estimate of damage and depend on the accuracy of information sourced from third parties currently available to us, we cannot guarantee that:
(a)
our services or models will be free of errors or defects;
(b)
our services or models will include the latest information; and/or
(c)
our models will reflect what has actually occurred or will occur.
1.6
Our services should not be relied upon as the sole basis for making any decision in relation to potential risk.
1.7
While indicative quality estimates are given, we make no definitive representations, warranties, or undertakings about any of the third-party information contained in our services, including (without limitation) their accuracy, completeness, quality or fitness for any particular purpose.
1.8
To the extent permitted by law, we have no liability or responsibility to you or any other person for any loss in connection with any information or content contained in our services or the platform, including any error or omission, or information or content that is out-of-date. You acknowledge that we cannot be held liable for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with any person’s use of the information or content contained in the platform.
1.9
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1.10
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