Would you know what to take from your home if a disaster struck?

This is the question Horizons Regional Council has posed to Manawatu residents in a online survival game on its website.

The game, Surviva, was developed for a civil defence and storms module on the now-defunct Green Rig but is being used for the Get Ready at Home defence project.

In it, players are asked to choose five items from different scenarios, which would help get them through a natural disaster.

They are then rated on the effectiveness of the items chosen. The higher the overall score, the more chance someone has of surviving a disaster.

The game's message has been emphasised by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, south of Opunake, that rocked Manawatu on Tuesday night.

The earthquake struck at 10.36pm, followed by another measuring 4.5 at 10.45pm.

Horizons spokeswoman Caroline Rowe said the game was designed to warn people about the need to be prepared before a disaster strikes.

"I would encourage people to have a go at the game, test their own knowledge about how prepared they think they are or think they should be.

"Then make sure they actually follow that up by actually getting prepared so that they can get through, which they can do on the Get Thru website or by contacting the regional or city council.''

If a disaster were to strike, Mrs Rowe advised residents to listen to the radio and seek advice from emergency management and civil defence staff.

To find out your chances of surviving, click here.

- © Fairfax NZ News