Are You Living in An Area at High Risk of Natural Disaster?

Ever since people started living in New Zealand, our homes have been at risk of being hit by a natural disaster. From the Napier earthquake of 1931 to the many in Christchurch across the past 10 years, homeowners have been suffering damage to their houses for decades.

However, it’s not only earthquakes that are affecting New Zealand homes. Devastating floods in both Napier and Southland last year caused water damage and ongoing issues for many affected homes in the area. The bushfires in Nelson in 2019 were the largest experienced in New Zealand for more than 70 years. But that doesn’t mean that these won’t happen again.

Climate change is causing ever-increasing damage to countries all over the world. It’s no coincidence that both Australia and California, though thousands of kilometres apart, have both been experiencing severe wildfires. The climate is evolving at a terrifyingly rapid pace.

Fires, floods, and coastal erosion are all expected to continue escalating in the coming years. Coastal erosion is a particular concern for New Zealand homeowners right now. Global warming is causing sea levels to rise dramatically. This will have a considerable effect on coastal areas, and as we know, New Zealand is an island, and therefore much of the land is coastal. Storm patterns are also strengthening, which will only serve to increase the amount of erosion on our coastlines.

The desire to live in a beachfront property is undoubtedly a trend in this country. Everyone wants a sea view, but this does come with certain risks. Flooding, tsunamis, and coastal erosion are all serious concerns for those who own houses near the beach. However, many people ignore the risks i favour of the magnificent views and easy access to the sea.

For homeowners or potential homeowners who want more knowledge of the potential risk to their properties, they are now opting to use UAV LiDAR technologies. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging. These mapping and remote sensing tools can determine whether your land is in a river and coastal flood and erosion risk area.

If you have some land that you’re considering building a home on, find a company first that uses this high-tech tool. They can help you to model the ground in 3-D detail for a more accurate picture of your landscape and the potential risk of erosion to your property.

It works by firing laser pulses towards the ground, collecting measurements that are then used to design a 3D model and map of the environment. Any anomalies or inconsistencies in the land will soon be evident, thanks to this mapping technology. Not only that, but the lasers shine through foliage so that you can gain more accurate details about the ground surface and condition.

This can be extremely useful when you’re considering buying a section of land, and if it’s coastal or near a river, doing so will be especially important. Before you commit to purchasing any property, use 3D modelling to find out if it is at high risk of corrosion.

After all, insurers are now often using a risk-based pricing model when providing insurance in risk-prone areas that may be susceptible to a natural disaster. If you can prove that the risk of your land is low, you may be able to argue for savings on insurance.

With the sea level of New Zealand expected to increase by 10cm across the next 20 years, the coastal situation is only getting worse. Why not get some peace of mind as to the risk of your property?