New Caledonia is a country in the western part of the world. New Caledonia has natural disasters and bad weather, like:
People in New Caledonia’s Department of Emergency Management (in French) help people after natural disasters and bad weather.
If there is a natural disaster or an emergency, a crisis hotline is set up if needed. It’s free to call.
+687 05 05 05 (French). Your tour operator or hotel may also be able to give you quick advice.
To be safe if there is a natural disaster:
secure your passport in a safe, waterproof place and keep an eye on local media and other sources.
follow the advice of your local government.
keep in touch with your friends and family
Get the latest weather and disaster news:
If you’re going to be there during cyclone season or after a natural disaster, check with your tour operator to see if their services have been affected.
Cyclones and very bad weather.
Cyclone season is from November to May, but they can happen at any time.
Changes can happen very quickly to the direction and strength of cyclones.
Cyclones and other types of extreme weather can lead to these kinds of things:
flooding and landslides can cause problems with important infrastructure and services.
If there is a cyclone or a very bad tropical storm, then you should stay inside.
You might get stuck in the area because flights might be delayed or cancelled, and there might not be any more seats left.
People could also have trouble getting to sea ports.
There may not be enough shelter for everyone.
Alerts for cyclones in New Caledonia come in four stages.
Pre-warning: There could be cyclone activity in the area where New Caledonia is being watched by the weather. Check the weather forecasts and bulletins for updates.
First, we have an alert. A storm is coming, and it could hit New Caledonia in the next 18 hours. Prepare for a storm.
This is the second alert. A cyclone is coming to New Caledonia in less than 6 hours. You should protect yourself and stay inside.
A cyclone is moving away, so be on the lookout. This is the SAFETY PHASE.
If a cyclone is near:
Safeguard Phase will be announced when it’s time for it to happen
Take care when you leave your home.
Keep an eye out for trash and avoid electrical wires that fall.
A lot of rain and mudslides
Heavy rain can flood and cause mudslides. Then:
deaths and hurts
evacuations because of damage to property
In the event of a quake or tsunami, there will be a lot of
New Caledonia has earthquakes and tsunamis.
Tsunamis can be caused by earthquakes and tremors that happen close by.
Ask your tour operator, host, or hotel about what to do in case of an earthquake in the area.
tsunamis are more likely at:
east coast
It is called the Isle of Pines because it has a lot of trees.
This happened near New Caledonia on December 5, 2018. The quake had a magnitude of 7.6. A tsunami alert was put out and then later taken down. After the quake, there were a lot of strong aftershocks.
In order to be ready for earthquakes and tsunamis, you can do the following:
People should stay away from the coast when there is an earthquake or a tsunami:
know how to get out of your hotel or cruise ship if you need to.
Check for tsunami news.
Keep an eye on local media and other sources
move to higher ground if you live in an area that is near the coast or is low-lying.
If you’re near the coast, move to higher ground as soon as possible if you:
feeling strong shaking that makes it hard to stand up
feel a small, rolling earthquake that lasts for a minute or more
Don’t wait for official warnings, like alarms or sirens, to tell you that something bad is going to happen before you do something.
Once you’re on high ground, keep an eye on the news in your area.
In the wake of an earthquake:
expect more aftershocks
if you’re going on a trip, be ready for things to go wrong.
ask your travel agent and tour operators to make sure that travel services and hotel reservations have been made.
There is more:
Bushfires
Bushfires can happen in New Caledonia.
Bushfires are most common from September to February. They can happen in other months, too.
From September 15 to February 15, Météo France Nouvelle-Calédonie (in French) sends out alerts about fires.
To keep yourself safe from bush fires:
alerts about forest fires
follow the advice of your local government.
