The devastation of the worst snowstorms in recent memory left Canterbury reeling in June, 2006.
Widespread power outages, in some cases up to three weeks in duration, added to a lack of even cellphone communication, leaving many rural communities isolated and in potential danger.
Schools were closed and many households could not even flush the toilet. Drinking water supplies were affected and urban transport systems were crippled.
The silver lining to the clouds that covered the region at 2.30am on Monday, June 12, 2006 did not become apparent immediately. That came weeks later after the welltrampled slush had melted away.
In the words of Timaru Civil Defence manager Mark Bang, the district realised it had been given a lesson that no amount of practice could emulate. Vulnerabilities had been exposed and measures could be taken to address the weaknesses discovered. Lessons could now be learned.
But Mr Bang is not sure that everyone has.
He said this week that the second anniversary of the ‘‘Big Snow'', a week from today, posed the same risk of more devastating storms as winter began to bite.
‘‘It has been almost two years since Canterbury was hit with one of the worst winter storms in recent memory. We learnt a lot of important lessons two years ago about the need for people to prepare for emergencies, but how many of us are ready even now?'' he said.
He urged schools, businesses, and other organisations to plan for winter conditions.
‘‘Planning will reduce disruption to services. Preparing for any civil defence emergency is never a waste of time or money.
‘‘As we have unfortunately seen overseas in the last few weeks [Myanmar's cyclone and the earthquake in China], anything can happen,'' Mr Bang said.
He had earlier acknowledged the work done by many sectors of the community in improving the district's readiness for a repeat of the ‘‘Big Snow''.
‘‘From [our experiences of] 2006, we have reinforced arrangements with the likes of fourwheel-drive clubs and we have improved our community volunteers' training and capability to respond.
‘‘We have worked with organisations such as Telecom and Federated Farmers to assist them and us in making better response arrangements.
‘‘Importantly, we also have a better understanding of the issues affecting the population and what we can do to help and what they need to do to help themselves and each other,'' Mr Bang said.
Volunteers were an important part of any Civil Defence response and Mr Bang's key message to them as winter began to bite was: ‘‘Keep turning up to training and keep your own household in a state of readiness so you are more quickly able to respond.''
He said residents in rural areas who would potentially be isolated following snow storms should make sure they knew the emergency coordination and emergency welfare arrangements for their community.
‘‘If residents are unsure what these are, contact the Timaru District Council Civil Defence office for advice,'' he said.
Basic emergency supplies such as batteries, torches, food and water were a starting point, he said.
‘‘Residents also need a battery or clockwork radio to be able to listen to emergency
announcements.''
A key weakness highlighted in June 2006 was the ability to communicate in a power cut.
‘‘Residents should have at least one phone at home that doesn't rely on electricity.''
And alternative sources of heating and cooking were essential, such as gas heaters and barbecues with spare gas bottles.
‘‘Although more effective arrangements are now in place in many areas for the maintenance and restoration of services, it is a fact of life that outages will still occur,'' Mr Bang said.
A Telecom project throughout South Canterbury that would see the community using their own generators to keep telecommunication batteries charged in remote areas was a key advance in adverse weather preparedness, he said.
And for those who would say the storms of 2006 could not happen again in their lifetime?
‘‘Ask the people in New Zealand who have had three 100-year floods in one year, or the farmers who got two snowstorms in the early 1990s.
‘‘These are weather events and the weather will do what it wants, when it wants.
‘‘We use terms like ‘a one-in-100-year event' to describe the size of it and to show the statistical probability of its recurrence.
‘‘It doesn't mean it will take that long for it to happen again,'' he said.
