BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010

Subject: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 05:48 PM

About 5 hours ago a 7.1 earthquake hit the South Island of New Zealand, causing massive damage to the Canterbury region, devastating one of our major cities and the outlying small towns.
Two people have been seriously injured from falling masonry but many others have minor cuts, breaks and bruises.
Power and water has been cut to some areas.
The Christchurch Hospital is running on emergency power.
Parts of central Christchurch have been closed and all our radios and TV stations are running live news updates.
They still haven't declared a state of emergency!!
One of many links with breaking news.
My brother lives in Kaiapoi - he should be OK but we haven't heard from him yet - the cell phone system isn't good at the moment.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 05:52 PM

By the way, because of the dateline, we are already in Saturday 4th September. So for the rest of you, this happened tomorrow!
A girl on telly right now is saying the streets in Kaiapoi are all broken and there's sewerage and water pipes broken everywhere.
TERRY! Where are you!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Tangledwood
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 05:56 PM

Just heard the news here in Brisbane. Best wishes to all the Kiwis.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 06:28 PM

Oh my... Hope you bother rings you soon and that he is all right.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 06:29 PM

your brother... sorry fingers aren't so good at the mo.

sending good energy to all in the earthquake area

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 06:30 PM

They've just shown footage of the mess in Kaiapoi's streets and the little footbridge over the Waimakarere river is ruined. It looks like a zig-zag - up, down, up, down. ^^^
Residents have been asked not to use their cell phones.
It is now a State of Emergency!
About time!
The airport is closed and trains have been stopped until the lines are checked but some major roads are still open.
There are no reports of any loss of life.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 06:58 PM

Oh my God.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 07:07 PM

TV reports available here.
Still lots of aftershakes.
Someone said the bells in the cathedral were ringing out while the earth shook.
Drinking water is about to be a real problem.
One man said that his toilet popped up from the floor. Many people are unable to flush their toilets.
All people who had been stuck in lifts (elevators) have now been removed.
The airport is being checked and flights might be able to resume sometime this afternoon.
A geologist is suggesting the Southern Alps will have moved higher and a little further north!
Our mountains are growing!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Alice
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 07:08 PM

I heard this news when it happened earlier today, didn't start a thread, but hoped someone in NZ on mudcat could give us an on-scene report. Thanks, Little Robyn and good luck.

A.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 07:16 PM

I hope you hear from your brother very soon, Robyn. Love to you all out there..

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 08:21 PM

NZ declares state of emergency after quake - posted 1hr 37 mins ago

Geonet NZ statistics on earthquake

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 08:40 PM

I heard there was a week or so ago near the glacier in South Island, but so remote that no human related damage noted.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 02:08 AM

Residents evacuated from quake-hit Christchurch - updated 45 mins ago

An earlier radio report said only CBD residents were being evacuated.

Google search Christchurch earthquake

Google search - Video reports on earthquake

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 03:45 AM

My sister tried to phone my brother earlier but no success. Then she had another thought:

'Finally realised I was allowed to text him so did. They are fine. Got a fright and things got stirred up but just down the road and around the corner buildings are wrecked and sewage leaking.
He had been trying to get Sandys sister and hubby to come for the weekend from Wainui and they were pleased they hadn't gone.
Terry thinks he will be busy but Steph is staying with them and her boyfriend is staying in their flat at Pine Beach to stop looters or some such.
If it gets too bad they might hop on a ferry but not at this stage.
They haven't had the power on long and he didn't mention the water. I told him everyone was asking after him so he just said tell everyone they are fine and thanks.'

Phew!
Terry is my brother, Sandy is his wife and Stephanie is their daughter so all are well.
Now the weather forecast is saying that rotten weather is coming - high winds and driving rain tomorrow. What a mess!
The hospital was back on mains power and the power company reckons they'll have most of the area fixed in a couple of days.
I hope so.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: gnu
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 05:09 AM

Gee whiz! I heard about the quake but all the report said was there was no tsunami. Didn't realize it was THAT bad.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Pistachio
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 06:19 AM

My neighbours daughter moved there (South Island) earlier this year - post grad on 2 year working visit. Must check with them.
Best wishes to ALL concerned.
Hazel.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 06:20 AM

Robyn... good to hear you got in touch with your brother and he and family are well...

Thoughts still with you and yours.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 08:32 AM

ditto

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 09:56 AM

Good luck to all your friends, Robyn. The penalty of living on the Ring of Fire, I guess.

Paws (Julia)

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 10:37 AM

Jeepers, I am glad you heard from your brother and all are okay. Sounds like a mess. May it all be put right as quickly and safely as possible.

Take care,

katinColorado

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 10:57 AM

I concur with kat! Living in seismically active country myself I hope this comes right! Keep us posted as you can.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Alice
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 05:07 PM

Like Rapaire, I live in the Yellowstone zone. I check the USGS earthquake report site almost every day.

Glad to hear that you contacted your brother, Robyn!

A.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 07:39 PM

It's a new day here in NZ and Christchurch is still a mess. The CBD is still closed off and they're still having aftershocks - 5.1 again this morning. Lots of others that I would consider nasty if it happened to us. Check out this lot!

The engineers have checked the Cathedral - one of Christchurch's landmarks, and is seems to be structurally sound. It was reinforced about 10 years back.
But many other old buildings in the middle of town have not been so lucky and while the quakes are continuing, shopowners can't get in to see the damage. Even when the buiding is OK, ceilings are down and the stock has been thrown all over the place.
I hate to think what might have happened in the music shops.
Or the Canterbury Museum. Or the library. The Youth hostels where we stayed during the Northumbrian Piper's tour in 2005.......
There will be plenty of work now, with rebuilding or demolishing and there is funding available from the Gov Earthquake Commission.
And they keep saying that no-one has been killed and only one seriously injured so things could have been much worse.
The TV news reckons that most people now have their power and water back on but with the number of lamposts tipped over and roads cracked, I find that hard to believe.
Anyway, they're sending in the army. They showed the tanks being loaded onto the Interisland ferry this morning.
"She'll be right mate!"
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: JennieG
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 08:36 PM

Hope everyone is well - at least the news that no one has been killed is heartening, when one sees the destruction on TV. Christchurch is a beautiful city, we visited there ten years ago this week.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Sep 10 - 09:28 PM

"Anyway, they're sending in the army. They showed the tanks being loaded onto the Interisland ferry this morning."

I hope things turn out better there than when they sent the Aussie Army into the Northern Territory ... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 05 Sep 10 - 01:22 AM

Rescuers fear Christchurch residents trapped - story posted 47 mins ago

I was looking for a photo in today's paper showing damage to a railway line, but it's not in this gallery however but it's here in this story

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Gurney
Date: 05 Sep 10 - 01:29 AM

We should explain that army tracked vehicles are being sent for their off-road capability, not to keep order! The epicentre was in a country area.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: mouldy
Date: 05 Sep 10 - 03:22 AM

My son in Wellington was woken by it, but at the time he wasn't aware what had actually caused him to wake up. He sent me a news link which says there is speculation that it might have been 3 quakes in very close proximity.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4094986/Officers-flown-in-to-protect-Christchurch

Should the same happen in Wellington, he would be part of the civil defence force (he works for the council). He said that the majority of the buildings to suffer were built from stone or brick (which doesn't flex) and that the alluvial land which Christchurch is built upon caused liquefaction, and that some buildings actually sank.
The people of New Zealand are as prepared as anyone could be for such events, given that nobody can ever tell the when/where/depth/strength of any earthquakes! As has been previously said - it's the penalty for living on the Ring of Fire.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Gurney
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 03:46 AM

I've just found out: the first international help offered was by the US military in Hawaii.
It wasn't needed, as we had very few people trapped, but the offer was made, and since out anti-nuclear stance has resulted in a widening gap militarily between NZ and the US, It was a generous offer.

Andrea's post says it all. There were eruptions of silt in Christchurch like small volcanos. It happened in the wee small hours, and our houses are built with earthquakes in mind, and don't fall down on you.
The buildings which suffered most were very old -by our standards- listed heritage stone buildings downtown, with very few people in them. About 90 buildings will be demolished, mostly lovely old ones.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 08:13 AM

It's just after midnight (Monday) here and the quakes are still happening.
The latest one was at 11:24pm, magnitude: 5.2, depth:9 km, 20 km south-east of Darfield.
Before that 11:14 pm, magnitude: 3.7, 10 km south-west of Christchurch,
10:21 pm, magnitude: 3.6, 20 km south-west of Christchurch,
9:20 pm, magnitude: 3.5, 20 km south-east of Darfield,
7:28 pm, magnitude: 3.8, 10 km east of Darfield,
7:03 pm, magnitude: 3.7, 10 km north-east of Darfield,
6:19 pm, magnitude: 3.8, 20 km south-east of Darfield.
They've been like that all day!
All around the Christchurch area.
The inner city is still closed to the public while engineers check the buildings and bulldozers knock down the damaged ones.
Business and building owners are allowed in to see what damage they have sustained and the army and police are keeping out rubberneckers or looters.
One street in Kaiapoi has a trench along it and some houses are tipping over or badly cracked, but other streets are OK.
Schools are still closed and the state of emergency has been extended to Wednesday.
And now there's wind and rain passing over the country.
I'm going to bed.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: maeve
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 08:24 AM

Thank you to all who have posted information. I'm watching and waiting for further developments. Let us know how we can help, please.

Maeve, in Maine.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: mouldy
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 09:10 AM

Seems from our news that it's a completely new faultline - same as Haiti

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 09:35 AM

Christchurch shop owners sift through rubble - see also links to videos & related stories, including this one Oh baby: quake shakes NZ mums into labour

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 03:56 PM

Before I went to bed I reported the latest biggie (5.2) at 11:24pm.
Well they've had more overnight -
11:38pm, Mag 4.0
11:40pm, 5.4
0:21am, 4.7
0:47am, 3.5
0:51am, 3.9
2:52am, 3.1
3:14am, 3.7
3:24am, 5.4
4:17am, 3.5
5:14am, 3.9

The smaller ones (up to about 4 on the Richter scale) would still be pretty unnerving but they've had three measuring more than mag.5 in the last 6 hours. Scary!
Some of the buildings that seemed OK before have now been damaged by the new quakes.
Some people have been trying to return to work but office workers and shop assistants etc whose work places have been destroyed are now suddenly unemployed. Some on TV are asking "Am I going to be paid?" Probably not.
The Government and insurance companies will cover some of the cost but things won't be back to 'normal' for a very long time.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 04:10 PM

Here's a first-hand report from one of our Morris families, sent out to all NZ Morris dancers this morning:

Hello All,
    In response to text messages and emails of concern along with well-wishes, I thought it might be worth writing a group email. Dave, could you please circulate this to the wider Morris community.

    The main thing is that we are fine! As the awfulness of the wider impact unfolded on the radio and TV our family realised just how lucky we had been. Yes, we felt the full, violent, prolonged shaking and shamefully, while my children ran to doorways, I couldn't think what to do (being 50 has its drawbacks) and just lay in bed thinking "Oh heck this is the Big One," and reminding myself that our old villa no longer had brick chimney stacks. I was also thinking that I might actually die in this earthquake. Our house is on piles, and we could feel the house staggering with a zig-zag motion. Elwin was remembering six weeks of winter grim and grime working under the house to anchor it to the piles according to the building consent requirements for our relocated building. Worth every aching moment!
    Bryony's collection of coke bottles fell in a frightening cascade from a high place, but not one broke. I don't think she'll be putting them back up there. Otherwise the dreadful "Sweet Jenny Jones" plate that you lot gave us for giving you the Morris Tour, fell off the piano, a few photo frames tumbled, crockery dislodged but nothing broke. I was worried about the chimneys and indeed the two-storey 130 year old concrete structure of my old family home (which Elwin and I bought 6 weeks ago), but it only suffered a cracked window and the existing cracks from earlier earthquakes don't seem to have widened at all. Once news of the damage in nearby Kaiapoi and Christchurch reached us we were able to appreciate how lucky we really have been. We have not been affected by power cuts, and because we have a 3000 litre water tank as well as a septic tank, we haven't suffered the breakdown in infrastructure that has crippled parts of Christchurch. In fact venturing out today as far as Rangiora I feel almost guilty to be going about business as normal.
    Kitty's primary school is closed as a formality, but Bryony's school, Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti, which is located in the heart of Christchurch's destruction, is likely to remain closed for as long as it takes to make the CBD safe again.
    I have always loved the historic street frontages in Christchurch, and supported campaigns to preserve the city's built heritage,
but with a whim of mother nature so much of it has just been wiped out, along with places of deep historical significance like the Deans homestead near the epicentre of the Earthquake. When I consider that in any other major earthquake the losses are counted in Human lives these heritage buildings are mere ephemera. What is left may now be valued more highly, but a path has opened for a new cityscape. Today we heard that the earthquake occurred on a fault line that had not moved for 16,000 years. And the Best of British luck sited a new city, right handy about 150 years before the upheaval!
    Nor' West Arch cancelled its day of dance on Saturday, but news from other dancers around the place suggests that most of us got off lightly. That includes Rod and Migs, who live at New Brighton on sandy terrain, and Trevor Robertson and his little boy Bleys who have only recently bought a house in Avonside - the area where the liquification occurred.

    Thanks for all the messages of concern and support. Our best wishes to everyone including Morris fellows in Christchurch.
Much Love
Jeneane and Family
Rangiora

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: gnu
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 04:19 PM

Gosh. Hope youse all keep safe. Scarey stuff indeed.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: vectis
Date: 06 Sep 10 - 06:44 PM

I was very relieved that my oldest moved from ChCh a few months ago to Aukland. Hope this is isolated and other faults won't be triggered by the quakes and aftershocks.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Gurney
Date: 07 Sep 10 - 03:40 PM

Well, Vectis, this event has already triggered minor shakes in Wellington and Hawkes Bay, and Auckland is built on an isthmus of volcanos. Extinct, I hope, but the volcanologists say not. I've lived here for 35 years and never felt the smallest tremor, and all modern buildings are built with that in mind.

You never stop being a parent, do you? My son is touring Scotland, and if a couple of days go by without an eMail.....

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Gurney
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 03:27 AM

And still the aftershocks go on! Buildings that were repairable no longer are, the State of Emergency has been extended for a week, safety inspectors are having to cover the ground again and again. The latest bigger aftershock was nearer and shallower. Governmant estimates of cost has doubled to $4billion for repairs alone.

The human cost is still nil in terms of lives directly lost, but livlihoods lost are still to be reckoned.
They estimate that there hasn't been an earthquake in the ChCh area for 15,000 years.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: mouldy
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 04:23 AM

My son said he felt one of the Wellington tremors while at work. However, apart from him and one other guy, nobody seemed to notice a bit of swaying!

He says one of the guys from work had gone to visit his brother in ChCh, and apparently this said brother actually SLEPT through the whole thing! (Generally felt to have some link with the alcohol consumed earlier!)

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 07:51 AM

A young man at the University has made a programme/site that shows you the map with coloured dots as each quake happened/happens - it's kept up to date.
Click here for a replay.
Scary!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 08:15 AM

Stay safe, Robyn. Let us know what we can do to help.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 10:31 AM

thanks for your reports, Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: gnu
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 02:44 PM

Quite the scarey vid! Hope things go okay.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 08 Sep 10 - 03:51 PM

If you look at the map of the area, the bit that pokes out - Bank's Peninsular, has 2 holes in it - Lyttelton Harbour and Akaroa Harbour.
These are 2 very old volcanoes!!!!!!
Just sleeping.
No volcano is actually dead - they're just asleep.
I'm not a geologist or volcanologist but if you track the quakes, they're all in a relatively small area, very close to the old volcanoes.
I think, if we were living there, I would be packing my bags!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: EBarnacle
Date: 09 Sep 10 - 12:02 AM

The late night news just showed a video of a liner interior being affected by what was apparently a minor tsunami in that area. Have there been other reports of similar events?

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 10 Sep 10 - 06:44 AM

The aftershocks seemed to be easing but the smaller quakes are still happening - the latest was just 30 minutes ago.
The people in Christchurch are getting tired, the kids are having bother sleeping and most schools are still closed.
But some parts of the city are open for business and things are starting to return to normal. Water is now available in most homes and power is back on.
Some houses are condemned, some buildings are being pulled down, some families have had enough but many are OK.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Little Robyn
Date: 13 Sep 10 - 04:03 PM

I was going to tell you it was almost over - there were only a few small aftershocks on Sunday night and early Monday.
But in the last 24 hours there have been 34 aftershocks, most of them smallish but a couple of them were 4 or more on the Richter scale.
The city centre is open again and people are trying to get back to a normal life. But many will have lost their jobs.
The repair bill is etimated to be about 4 billion dollars - half of that for domestic properties, a quarter for business properties and the rest for public amenities - water, power, public buildings etc.
Anyway, things are looking up, most kids are back at school and they're learning to cope.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: gnu
Date: 13 Sep 10 - 05:03 PM

Any progress is good. Hope progress continues. Too bad the Commonwealth is spending so much money on bullets and might not be able to help out our citizens in NZ. Sorry for that statement but that's the way I feel.

Stay safe.

Subject: RE: BS: NZ Major Earthquake Canterbury Sep 2010
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Sep 10 - 02:38 AM

Robyn, thanks for the continual reports.

sandra