In a new ad, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is urging New Zealanders have disaster prep kōrero, meaning conversation, about their plans for emergency situations.
With the North Island's unprecedented flooding, and incoming Cyclone Gabrielle, NEMA's Roger Ball asks people to channel their disaster anxieties into preparation.
"I wish we were better" at preparing for disaster, Ball said.
"A survey last year shows that only about a third of New Zealanders have done anything in the last 12 months to actually get ready for an actual disaster event and that's just not high enough.
"We know from past events that people are quite motivated about events… we want to take advantage of this moment to urge people to pay attention" to the latest advice.
The pep talk campaign NEMA is running is focussed on getting people to discuss such situations and ensuring they're ready, said Ball.
"What we know is that tropical Cyclone Gabrielle will most likely intensify into a category 3 very severe weather system overnight.
"That means for New Zealand as it comes towards us we need to make some urgent preparations. We expect at this stage we could be getting up to 200 to 300mm of rain in some parts of northern New Zealand. We are expecting severe gales and storm surges impacting low-lying areas," Ball said.
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