Natural disaster preparation at home: New Zealand General Social Survey 2008 fact sheet

This fact sheet analyses the preparations New Zealand households had made for a natural disaster. It is intended to help determine how prepared they are for natural disasters, and may also be used to find out which types of households are the most and least prepared, as well as to monitor changes over time.

The paper assesses how prepared New Zealand households are for a natural disaster through three groups of natural disaster preparations, created in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management: (i) basic preparation: household has a three-day supply of food and water, and a household emergency plan; (ii) better preparation: household has a torch, portable radio, spare batteries, first aid kit and essential medicines, as well as a three-day supply of food and water, and a household emergency plan; (iii) damage mitigation: household has secured heavy and tall furniture, and/or a secured hot-water cylinder.

The New Zealand General Social Survey (NZGSS) is a multidimensional survey that gathers information across areas that are important to people's lives. It provides data on social and economic outcomes of New Zealanders aged 15 years and over.