With Wanaka and the Lakes District sitting near the Alpine Fault, disaster preparedness was important for all residents, including having an emergency kit ready.
One of the biggest risks the region faces is the possibility of an Alpine Fault magnitude 8 earthquake which has a 75% probability of occurring within the next 50 years.
Although this is the most significant hazard threatening the region, it was not the only one.
Emergency Management Otago (EMO) stakeholder engagement adviser Erica Andrews, said the region’s biggest hazards included flooding, earthquakes, snow and landslides.
"Flooding could be at any time if the conditions are right and landslides may be a secondary consequence of an earthquake or heavy rain."
She said being prepared for these events started by first understanding the hazards and then developing a plan which must include a grab bag, knowing where key information points were, and keeping connected with the community.
EMO has a partnership between all local authorities in Otago and together they are charged with arranging necessary information and preparedness.
This has led to the formation of community response groups across the country and the Wānaka Community Response Group has been vocal in keeping locals across the region informed on how to stay safe should a disaster strike.
Group spokesman Mick Hollyer said the group organised information sessions to help locals prepare for hazards and was also tasked with canvassing neighbourhoods during a disaster.
The region had been divided into nine sectors which the response group would then monitor while also having meeting points around town such as the Presbyterian church, the Upper Clutha Rugby Club and the community hub, he said.
The group had also helped spread information such as the suggested EMO household emergency kit which includes sanitary products, food and water, cooking supplies, communication devices, safety items, and important documents.
Keeping this kit updated with warm clothing was crucial as the district entered the coldest months of the year, which might result in hazards such as heavy snowfall.
Mr Hollyer said having the kit was only the beginning, and he stressed the importance of keeping connected with neighbours and knowing what resources each person had.
"You might have to live in your home without power or water or sewerage for up to a week, 10 days. There’s no point in five houses all having barbecues. You might as well have one barbecue, another household will have a generator."
The region’s high number of visitors also played a part in potentially complicating preparedness.
Wānaka’s popular ski-season and events such as Warbirds, brought large masses of people into the small town, who would all need assistance in the event of an emergency.
"The priority will be to get the people who are visitors out of town as quickly as possible."
Although this would mean a bigger job for the local authorities and response groups, Mr Hollyer said most visitors would be staying with accommodation providers who should be well equipped to respond in an emergency.
Evacuating people would likely become impossible if the Albert Town or Cardrona bridges were swept away or damaged in an earthquake, Mr Hollyer said.
This also posed a risk to residents living in other parts of the Upper Clutha who worked or went to school in Wānaka.
"We can’t do anything, there will just be an increased number of people way over the permanent population."
EMO works closely with the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Otago Regional Council to ensure there is updated information on potential hazards and how to be prepared, all of which can be found online.
