Westport evacuation guide
The Westport Get Ready – Go! Evacuation Guide was put together by the West Coast Emergency Management Team, in conjunction with Resilient Westport.
In April 2026, households in Westport and surrounds received a copy of the Westport Get Ready – Go! Evacuation Guide in their mailboxes.
The aim of the guide is to support household preparedness in the event of a major flood or other emergency affecting Westport and surrounds, requiring people to evacuate to a place of safety.
We are also included a short Household Evacuation Plan template that residents can fill out with family, friends or housemates, in advance, with key information to help in the event of an emergency.
You can download your own copy of the Guide here.
Information evening
A free public event was also held on 23 April at the NBS Theatre in Westport to talk through elements of the Westport Evacuation Plan with the local community.
The goal of the community information evening was to help residents understand:
How evacuation decisions are made
The science and modelling behind how flooding is predicted
What to expect during an emergency
What residents can do to prepare
Where to go and how the process works.
Representatives of the local emergency services including police, fire, ambulance and Civil Defence Emergency Management planners and controllers were available afterwards to chat with attendees and provide answers to common questions.
The community mobile emergency kitchen provided a sausage sizzle on the night and some emergency grab kits were handed out as spot prizes.
To find out more about the information evening, read our latest media release.
Emergencies can happen anytime. You can take steps to be prepared.
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What is the Westport: Get ready-Go Evacuation Guide?
The Guide is a four-page document being shared with the residents of Westport and surrounds.
The aim of the Guide is to support household preparedness in the event of a major flood, or other emergency affecting Westport and surrounds, requiring people to evacuate to a place of safety.
It describes what to do during each phase of an evacuation from the point of view of an everyday person, alongside the actions of Emergency Management.
It provides clear information on what to expect and how to prepare for a flooding emergency.
You can download a version here
What is the Household Evacuation Plan?
We have compiled a short Household Evacuation Plan template that residents can fill out, in advance, so they have the key information they will need in the event of an emergency. This means they will have handy checklists for things to pack and consider, and key contacts already noted down. The aim is to save time and worry if an evacuation is recommended or directed.
You can download a version here
Get Ready has a more comprehensive online version.
What’s the aim of the evacuation Guide for the community?
We want to ensure a high level of awareness among Westport residents in the flood risk areas about evacuation planning by Emergency Management and that they know:
how they should prepare (have their own plan),
where to get key information (eg, river levels and what they mean),
how evacuation recommendations or directions will be delivered (channels), and
understand what they should do if an evacuation is recommended or directed.
How can I find out more in person?
To support the written material, we are holding an event on 23 April at the NBS Theatre in Westport.
The event is being held to give people the opportunity to find out more in person about evacuation planning and the Westport emergency management environment generally. The event is free and open to all. Members of the public will have the chance to chat with representatives of the local emergency services and gain more understanding about what goes on behind the scenes in a flooding or other emergency. A free sausage sizzle and spot prizes will also be on offer.
Westport Evacuation Plan – free community information event
Where: NBS Theatre, Westport
When: Thursday, 23 April 2026
Time: 6.30pm to 8pm
How will people know when to evacuate?
There would be wide-spread messaging if an emergency flood evacuation were required. Sources of information will include radio, television, social media, websites, mobile public announcement systems and, at the most appropriate time, an emergency mobile alert. Door knocking may occur if other communication methods are not available.
Would there be advance notice of an evacuation to give people time to prepare?
Severe weather warnings, cumulative rainfall data and river and rain gauges – among other tools –provide good information to help predict a major flooding event. Westport residents can expect 12 or more hours’ notice of a flooding evacuation depending on the circumstances at the time.
Why evacuate early?
To ensure people can leave safely before conditions become dangerous.What if it turns out not to be severe?
Early evacuation is safer than waiting too long.Should I wait for an official order?
No—if safe, leaving early is strongly encouraged.What are the flood evacuation triggers?
Deciding on an evacuation is a complex matter involving the consideration of many things including severe weather warnings (red or orange heavy rainfall warnings from MetService), cumulative rainfall, field measurements and observations (including from river and rain gauges), geotechnical and structural performance monitoring, satellite imagery, rain radar (if available), and expert opinions.
A key factor for Westport is ensuring people can get across the bridges from the main township to places of safety in advance of a major flood. In all cases, avoiding or reducing serious risk to human life is a primary concern.
Other important contextual considerations for an evacuation decision may include: adverse weather conditions reducing effectiveness of emergency resources, road or bridge closures, relatively large numbers of people at risk (eg, peak tourist season or visitors attending an event), and time of day – the evacuation process will be much safer if it can start and be completed during daylight hours.
Is there still a flood risk once the stopbanks and floodwalls are in place?
The new flood defences will significantly reduce Westport’s risk of major flooding events, but they cannot remove it altogether. There is still a chance a large or fast-moving flood could occur requiring evacuation.
Where can residents get updates in a live emergency situation?
Check social media channels (such as Facebook – Buller Emergency Management, West Coast Emergency Management).
Local radio and TV news for updates.
Call Civil Defence on 0800 234 533
Go to the West Coast Emergency Management website: westcoastemergency.govt.nz
In an emergency call 111
Where would people go if asked to evacuate?
This is something we recommend residents consider in advance. Your best option is to evacuate to friends or whānau/family who live outside the evacuation area.
If you cannot stay with friends or family, you will need to go to the advertised Registration Centre, which will be established at a safe location in Westport.
At the Registration Centre, people will be registered and directed to an Evacuation Centre or alternative safe accommodation. The location of evacuation centres will be advised at the time.
Should I let someone know if I am self-evacuating, and if so how?
Yes, it is a good idea to let close friends and family know in advance that you are leaving your home and where you are going. This could be by giving them a phone call, sending them a message, or posting on social media.
What if I need help evacuating?
Vulnerable adults needing help to evacuate should register with Emergency Management and/or contact their normal support provider. Emergency Management will be in touch with local support providers to establish who needs extra help.
Transport and shelter will also be available for those who are not able to make their own arrangements.
Can I take pets?
Yes—people should include animals in their plans. Emergency Management will work with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to establish animal shelters as required. Bring pet vet documents if possible.Is the Guide only for flood-related evacuations?
The Guide is focussed on flooding situations, but the advice it gives will apply to many other emergency situations. Improved planning and preparedness help in all emergency circumstances.
What if I didn’t get a Guide or Household Evacuation Plan in my mailbox?
We expected all households to receive a Guide on the 15th of April 2026 in their letterboxes or P.O. Box.
If you didn’t get one, we will have them available at the Resilient Westport offices at 147 Palmerston Street during our Tuesday community drop-in sessions from 11am to 1pm. We will also make them available at the Buller District Council Westport Service Centre or the Sue Thomson Casey Memorial Library in Westport.
You can also email us at: info@resilientwestport.co.nz to find out more.
How can I find out more if I cannot make it to the public event on 23 April?
Residents can drop into the regular Tuesday Resilient Westport community drop-in sessions from 11am to 1pm at 147 Palmerston Street.
What is the new Westport evacuation plan?
We have prepared an enhanced flood evacuation plan for Westport, Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road.
The Westport Flood: Evacuation Response Plan essentially guides decision-makers and members of the Emergency Services in the event of an emergency.
It also aims to help Emergency Management support the Westport community to self-evacuate if a major flood warning confirms an evacuation is necessary because of serious safety risks.
The plan is a living document, which sits with West Coast Emergency Management, so new information will be considered and incorporated into it over time.
This work was funded by Resilient Westport.
Why create this guide?
As part of the Emergency Management component of the Resilient Westport programme a Westport Flood: Evacuation Response Plan was developed.
It focuses on improving arrangements that support flood-related evacuation activities in and around Westport.
The Plan is essentially for Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Controllers, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) staff and stakeholders directly involved in carrying out a flood-related evacuation of Westport and surrounding areas such as Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road.
We wanted to take elements of this plan and help members of the Westport community, and surrounds, understand their role in planning for evacuations - should they be required, as well as increasing their understanding of what goes on behind the scenes in a civil defence emergency.
Planning saves lives
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We already have Civil Defence in Buller that is managed through West Coast Emergency Management Group (WCEM).
All four councils on the West Coast and iwi, make up the WCEM Group.
West Coast Regional Council
Buller District Council
Grey District Council
Westland District Council
Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio
Te Rūnanga of Ngāti Waewae.
The aim of the WCEM is to coordinate emergency management activities, mainly focussed on readiness and response.
As we saw in the flood events of 2021 and 2022 (and many other occasions), in an emergency WCEM sets up an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to oversee the coordination of agencies and communities involved in a response.
The operational direction of WCEM is provided by the four councils, Fire Emergency NZ, Police, Health NZ, Medical Officer of Health, St John, the Group Controller, Department of Conservation, Makaawhio and Ngāti Waewae. These agencies meet on a quarterly basis and make up the ‘Coordinating Executive Group’ (CEG).
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Our survey into ‘How well can you self-evacuate in a flood?’ has now closed
The purpose of the survey we ran in October 2025 was to help the CDEM team in the creation and finalisation of their enhanced flood evacuation plan for greater Westport (Westport, Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road).
A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes drafting a plan and working with critical infrastructure agencies and emergency services to improve planning, and look at ways to improve community capability and resilience.
The survey was conducted for the team to test their assumptions with the wider community. It ran from 17 October 2025 to Friday 7 November 2025. The information is being used to help tailor the flood evacuation plan to the community’s needs.
See our Evacuation Survey FAQs for more.
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Frequently Asked Questions Emergency Management Survey (October 2025)
How long does the survey run?
The survey will run from 17 October until 4.30pm on Friday 7 November 2025.
How can I fill out the survey?
The survey can be filled out online on this page: letstalk.bullerdc.govt.nz/emergency-management-survey
Paper surveys and information can be found at the Buller District Council Westport service centre or the Sue Thomson Casey Memorial Library in Westport.
Is the survey anonymous?
We ask that you supply your name and email address or phone number to help ensure the source and accuracy of the survey responses we receive. Any sharing or publication of survey results, including with local Civil Defence Emergency Management, will be in an anonymised format.
How will the survey results be of use?
We are preparing an enhanced flood evacuation plan for Westport, Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road.
The planning we’ve done to date is based on good information about our community’s capabilities and preparedness such as Census data and statistical information about the population, households and local tourism. But we need the help of our local residents to confirm the reliability of this information and improve our knowledge on the extent the community is able to self-evacuate if a major flood warning confirms an evacuation is necessary because of serious safety risks.
The plan will be a living document so new information will be considered and incorporated into it as we go along.
When will the enhanced evacuation plan be made public?
We will share more information about the plan with the community later in the year. It is important to us that people in the community know who is doing what in an emergency and what they can do to be better prepared.
What’s the aim of the Plan for the community?
We want to ensure a high level of awareness among Westport residents in the flood risk areas about the plan and that they know:
how they should prepare (have their own plan)
where to get key information (eg, river levels and what they mean)
how evacuation recommendations or directions will be delivered (channels),
and understand what they should do if an evacuation is recommended or directed.
Who is the Plan for in the emergency response sector?
It is a plan for CDEM Controllers, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) staff and stakeholders directly involved in carrying out a flood-related evacuation of Westport and surrounding areas such as Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road.
Who can participate in the survey?
The survey is intended for residents of Westport, Carters Beach and Snodgrass Road who are aged 18 and over. We only need one response for each household.
How will people know when to evacuate?
There would be wide-spread messaging if an emergency flood evacuation were required. Sources of information will include radio, television, social media, websites, mobile public announcement systems and, at the most appropriate time, an emergency mobile alert. Door knocking may occur if other communication methods are not available.
What are the flood evacuation triggers?
Deciding on an evacuation is a complex matter involving the consideration of many things including severe weather warnings (red or orange heavy rainfall warnings from MetService), cumulative rainfall, field measurements and observations (including from river and rain gauges), and geotechnical and structural performance monitoring, satellite imagery, rain radar (if available), and expert opinions.
A key factor for Westport is ensuring people can get across the bridges from the main township to places of safety in advance of a major flood. In all cases, avoiding or reducing serious risk to human life is a primary concern.
Other important contextual considerations for an evacuation decision may include: adverse weather conditions reducing effectiveness of emergency resources, road or bridge closures, relatively large numbers of people at risk (eg, peak tourist season or visitors attending an event), and time of day – the evacuation process will be much safer if it can start and be completed during daylight hours.
Would there be advance notice of an evacuation to give people time to prepare in a flooding emergency?
Severe weather warnings, cumulative rainfall data and river and rain gauges – among other tools –provide good information to help predict a major flooding event. We anticipate 12 or more hours’ notice, but this will depend on the circumstances at the time.
Is the survey only for flood-related evacuations?
The Plan we are working on is focussed on flooding, but the learnings from this process will apply to most, if not all, other emergency situations. Improved planning and preparedness help in all emergency circumstances.
How can I find out more?
Copies of these FAQs and paper survey forms will be placed at the Buller District Council Westport service centre or the Sue Thomson Casey Memorial Library in Westport.
Residents can also drop into the regular Tuesday Resilient Westport community drop-in sessions from 12noon to 2pm at 147 Palmerston Street.
