Natural Disasters
A state of emergency, again and again and again
After another run of storms, do declarations of states of emergency risk "crying wolf"?
Why are we seeing more 'states of emergency'?
Recent severe weather and flooding have seen a huge number of 'states of emergency' declared across the country. In fact, there has already been more states of emergency declared in 2026 than all of… Audio
Waikato states of emergency extended
Waipā Mayor Mike Pettit said the district still had a long way to go when it came to repairs.
East Cape businesses fear for survival after storms
Hicks Bay locals have been cut off for weeks of the peak tourism season and are still facing a major clean up.
A state of emergency, again and again and again
After another wild week of weather, The Detail looks at the surge in declarations of states of emergency, and whether we risk 'crying wolf'. Audio
Morning Report Essentials for Thursday 19 February
A very happy Zoi Sadowski-Synnott joined us after becoming the most decorated Olympic snowboarder in the world; Corin Dann spoke with Reserve Bank governor Dr Anna Breman following her first official… Audio
'It doesn't make sense': Flood victims question why lake wasn't opened
Locals of a town flooded twice this year are asking why the council didn't act sooner.
Locals form chain as 'lifeline' road gouged out by raging floodwaters
The damage has split families, but soon they were ferrying supplies from one side to the other. Audio
'Disaster sightseeing' getting in way, mayor of storm-hit district says
The Rangitikei mayor wants people to stop taking trips into the back country because they are getting in the way.
Precious taonga destroyed by floodwaters
Almost two dozen members of the community rallied to save what they could from the sodden Ōtorohanga Museum, but the full extent of the damage is still unknown.
Family displaced by landslide to move into cabin
A Te Araroa family are looking to move into a Toitū Tai Rāwhiti cabin after a landslide destroyed their hillside home.
Tai Rāwhiti locals anxious to have reliable northern route out of Gisborne
Convoys along State Highway 2 were stopped on Thursday night and have been cancelled this weekend, because of the threat of rain causing more slips in the gorge.
New tool to identify flood-prone Auckland properties
It aims to give potential buyers better information about a property's flood risk level. Audio
'Education hub' opens for students cut off by slip
Students cut off from their high schools by a monster slip northeast of Whangārei are instead taking lessons at a temporary 'education hub' set up at a local primary school.
Couple finally gets landslide payout three years after claim
Even so, they came close to losing out entirely when engineers hired by the Earthquake Commission, backed its orginal call that it was not landslide damage.
Part of landslide road cordon set to be lifted
Adams Avenue between Maunganui Road and Marine Parade will be open to both vehicles and pedestrians.
'Unlikely' Mount landslide area will remain campsite - mayor
Mahé Drysdale said any decisions on the future of the land surrounding the landslide will require conversations with iwi, communities, and people closely affected by the tragedy.
'Nothing prepares you for it': Mayor's 'confronting' days after deadly landslide
Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale has described the days following the Mauao landslide tragedy as "the hardest week of my life".
Another town's residents say insurer has shut down new policies
Several South Island towns were already on a list of areas AA won't issue new policies for. Audio
Council looks at rule change to avoid flood buyout
Auckland Council wants to increase the amount it can spend on retaining walls and lifting homes to make them safe - a move it said would be more cost effective than writing them off.
