The online survey of households affected by the Edgecumbe flood (April 2017) has been closed off. Over 150 households participated and shared their experiences of the flood response, with a special focus on animal welfare. The survey was based on an earlier survey undertaken by world veterinary disaster management expert Sebastian Heath in the 1990s following evacuations of US townships following natural and man-made disasters.
Additional research is planned to supplement the household survey including semi-structured interviews of responders working in township of Edgecumbe following the flooding emergency. The data from these, along with official records will be analysed to evaluate the effectiveness of the response, with a view to help identify improvements in future responses and to current animal emergency management policies and laws.
Subject to community interest and support, it is likely that preliminary results from the survey will be shared at a community event in Edgecumbe in early 2019.
Further updates will be posted the survey facebook page www.edgecumbe.nz
Animal Disaster Management 