Janine Krippner
As I write this, I am waiting with the rest of you to see how our North Island has fared through Cyclone Vaianu. We watched preparedness and response unfold in real time. Emergency declarations enabled faster action, evacuation calls were made ahead of the storm, and communities mobilised.
Janine Krippner
That we have days of warning like this is something many may take for granted. Over decades, science has progressed rapidly. The understanding of our atmosphere and how weather systems progress, plus technological advancements to collect better data, allow meteorologists to forecast a range of what might happen.
Scientists can analyse vast, complex, and evolving systems, and build a picture of what may happen thousands of kilometres away.
At home, we translate these forecasts into potential impacts. We work to understand where flooding may occur and where landslides are more likely, what infrastructure may be affected, and who are vulnerable and need assistance. Many moving parts come together to enable an effective response.
As an event approaches, uncertainty decreases and we can act with a clearer idea of what we are facing. Crucially, we do not wait for certainty to jump into action. That would be too late. Instead, we can prepare for the worst with a good old practical attitude and hope for the best.
If all goes well, strong preparation makes an event appear less severe than expected. If we are lucky, a storm may reduce in intensity, or a slight shift take it further offshore. If we are lucky and well prepared, people can joke about ‘the great storm of 2026’ with pictures of plastic chairs tipped over rather than images of loss, devastation, and mourning.
Ideally, every event strengthens our ability to respond. We reflect on what worked, where we can improve, and where vulnerabilities and gaps remain. Natural events will always bring surprises, and there will always be more to learn.
What we see publicly is only a fraction of the work that happens behind the scenes to ensure we are as prepared and supported as possible, with the abilities and resources that we have. Communities and individuals – us – are part of this system; we are not powerless.
Preparedness at an individual level matters. Taking responsibility and acting on guidance helps us understand what readiness looks and feels like before the worst-case scenario does occur. Ideally, many of us have just strengthened our emergency supplies and are now better prepared for the future.
We will experience disasters with little or no warning in our future. When we do have advance notice, even if the outcome is less severe than it may have been, it is a valuable and significant opportunity to improve our preparedness before we desperately need it.
My deep gratitude and respect go to everyone who worked to prepare our communities for this event.
