The Shakeout is a nationwide volunteer earthquake drill designed to teach people how to react in an emergency.
Abbotsford pupil Finn Pulley (11) said it was good to know what to do if an earthquake did happen. They were taught to stop, find cover and hold on to something while they waited for the earthquake to pass. He said he now felt prepared if one did occur in Dunedin.
Emma Collins (10) said they were also taught exercises they could do at home, such as preparing for a disaster with food and water at home.
Stats NZ wellbeing and housing statistics manager Sarah Drake said many households were unprepared for a natural disaster such as an earthquake, flood, or tsunami.
"While most households had enough food, only around half had enough water. In the event of a disaster, households should have enough water for three days, which is at least 9 litres for each person."
In the last eight years, the proportion of people who said their household was prepared for an emergency was relatively unchanged from 22 percent in 2014 when the data was last collected.
