Response or Recovery Challenges

1. What are the most serious hazards your community (or organisation) faces?  The two most serious hazards my community faces are AF8 and floods.
2. How would your community (or organisation) respond to the most significant hazard now?  Given there are alerts out re rain and raising rivers right now I will comment on this.  Last year when there was warnings re flooding the authorities planned by bringing in etc St John, Fire and Emergency personnel and vehicles and also bought in the Army.  The Army were brilliant in evacuating people.  Without this forward planning once the flooding occurred it could have been difficult to get them in as we became cut off meaning Red Cross DWST couldn't come.    If the floods had breached where it was thought they would the town would have had been 4000-10000 people to evacuate,  A supportive community would as they have in the past look out and after each other
3. What issues would come from that Response or Recovery?

 SH1 could be closed due to the bridge over it slumping and access further south cut off due to flooding as both these have occurred.  The only road open was one the wasn't built nor were the bridges to carry the traffic volume of SH1.  Given this is rural and road underwater it wouldn't suitable to allow traffic to travel at night.  Supply routes would be disrupted for all of South Island.  The bridge slumped as rubbished washed into aging piles, the river needs to be cleaned out, stop banks built stronger, ECan need to clear the river of shingle to prevent the rural flooding.  Enhanced information on what is going on so clear and regular communication, ensuring those for whom English is a second language understand what is happening, educating communities on having grab bags ready, what to have in them and where to go for help eg ph no or where welfare centre is.  There is work being done on having plans around emergencies for all areas not just the main centre.    The Welfare Centre is at the local Marae out of town, getting there could be a problem, not well sign posted, can accommodate a limited no of people and the Marae think they are in charge as its on their property, on a Marae which means some people wont access it.  If the predicted path of a flood in the town happened access to welfare centre would be cut off so other locations many in the flood path would need to be found.  If at night people can become disorientated, would be trying to find pets, maybe supplies.  If bridges  collapses they often carry things like the telecommunication lines.  Power could be knocked out, water would be come unusable.  Neighbourhood Support is actively working to get groups in urban and rural areas running and also find out what skills eg people have like a first aid certificate and equipment eg digger, 4 Wheel Drive etc.  a team of people are being trained as CD volunteers and the local Volunteer Centre is working on a list of volunteers that can help eg with SIQing so these people maybe available to help in a emergency as well.