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Natural hazards where you live

New Zealand is a place where we all live with some kind of natural hazard risk. It’s a good idea to understand what natural hazards could affect the area you live in and how you can reduce the risk of damage to your property.

What you're covered for

Natural Hazards Portal

The Natural Hazards Portal makes it easy to find information on natural hazard risks in your community.

You can:

  • access local and national-level risk information from multiple government agencies, such as Council hazard maps.
  • see settled EQCover and NHCover claims from 1997 onwards on residential properties throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Visit the Natural Hazards Portal.(external link)

Landslip on the coast of New Zealand

Landslips

Landslips are one of the most common natural hazards to affect New Zealand homes and properties.

 
Flooding on a rural New Zealand road

Floods

Homes in low-lying areas near waterways are generally more at risk of floods.
Earthquake damage to a road

Earthquakes

Earthquakes can happen almost anywhere in New Zealand, although some areas have a higher risk.
Tsunami sign at Mercury Bay Coromandel

Tsunami

The likelihood of a severe tsunami affecting New Zealand is low, but even a small tsunami can affect properties in low-lying coastal areas.
volcanic eruption

Volcanoes

The North Island is an active volcanic region, and while eruptions (and the earthquakes that often come before them) are rare, we can’t predict them.
geothermal lake

Hydrothermal activity

Most of New Zealand’s hydrothermal activity – hot water below the Earth’s crust – happens in the Taupo volcanic zone, from White Island to Mt Ruapehu.