Landslides during the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods blocked roads and damaged homes and water infrastructure. Photo: Stuff / Abigail Dougherty via LDR
Landslides are our country's deadliest and most costly natural hazard. Landslides triggered by the cyclone ultimately killed two volunteer firefighters Muriwai, condemned hundreds of homes, and left thousands of scars on the landscape.
Months of painstaking work has since revealed the scale of the cyclone's devastation, with scientists mapping more than 140,000 slips. According to researchers at University Canterbury landslides have caused more deaths in New Zealand than any other natural hazard and lead to $300 million in insurance claims each year.
Dr Timothy Stahl, School of Earth and Environment Senior Lecturer at University Canterbury, says climate change and natural hazards interact in a way that exacerbates the risk of damage to lives and property. He leads one of 10 university research teams awarded a combined $4.5 million in funding to better understand this relationship.
