Not enough people prepared for disaster: Red Cross

Graeme Brown has 1200 litres of water stored under the deck at his Wellington home in case a natural disaster strikes but says he is one of the few New Zealanders prepared for an emergency that might last a few days.

Mr Brown, Red Cross emergency management officer for the lower half of the North Island, said with his water, food, a barbecue with extra gas bottles and a generator, he could last a month before things returned to normal but said more New Zealanders needed to follow his example.

Statistics New Zealand said its most recent survey earlier this year showed most New Zealand households were not prepared for a natural disaster and only 15 percent had a disaster plan in place and enough food and water to last three days.

Having enough food and water for three days, and a household emergency plan were basic preparations for a natural disaster, said Statistics New Zealand.

Mr Brown said he also had his important documents scanned and backed up, tools, timber, plastic sheeting and tarpaulins to cover damaged windows and plastic bags to put in the toilet.

He said a few years ago he was on a working group looking at sewage disposal after a natural disaster and to practise what the group had recommended, he lined his toilet with a plastic bag and used it for the weekend.

When the bag needed to be removed he said he tied it up in another bag and stored it in a dark place until the services were restored and it could be disposed of.

"It's a simple solution for when the water is off for a lengthy period," he said in the latest issue of the Red Cross magazine Red Cross News.

Mr Brown told NZPA a lot of people made no plans at all for an emergency.

"The only thing that seems to get people into action is when something close to home happens and they go ballistic for a while about getting prepared and then it all dwindles off again."

He said the most many people had was a bit of water and food which was not enough.

He said the average person would use 300-400 litres of water a day, however that could be cut down dramatically in an emergency.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said every household should have at least three to four litres of water a day just for drinking.