New Zealand's 2016 Kaikōura earthquake stopped the Waiau Toa—also known as the Clarence River—in its course. Within hours, the river flooded outside its channel and changed course. In the seven years since the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, the river has completely abandoned the path it used to take. This is not the first time this sort of thing has happened. Flooding and earthquakes are some of the most frequent natural disasters globally.