Busytown by Jolisa Gracewood

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Busytown: The shakes

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    Anyone heard from Emma? Sure she's fine -- but working really hard to be sensible and stay off the phone...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Emma's good -- she tweeted after the big jolt that they still had electricity, only minor damage.

    She then immediately reported an aftershock.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Yep, a tweet a couple of hours ago. Phew. Also Harvestbird and family. No word from Dr H yet; hoping that's not his Avonside house said to be knocked off its foundations.

    On the other hand, it has to be somebody's house. Ghastly game of dice, really, isn't it.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Robert Urquhart,

    Well it wasn't my house (mind, I'm in Sockburn/Upper Riccarton, depending on whether you're NZPost or a real estate agent), just a bit of breakage in the kitchen.

    Stuff Article with pics of central city

    My father reckons that's the biggest he's felt since one I remember when I was just a nipper (so 20-odd years ago?) (that came from the alpine fault, from which we lived a short distance.)

    Aftershocks continuing regularly, another one as I type this.

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2009 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    This chap will be able to give us the full seismic story, when he gets a chance, too.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Big hugs to all our Cantabrian PASers. How bloody awful. When I was a boarder at Marsden in Wgtn, we used to have earthquakes all the time - tiles fell off the roof but nothing more. And then when Mum and I were in Vanuatu, we were lying on her bed reading when the bed started rolling. Mum had no idea what it was. Never been in anything like what you are all experiencing down there, though. I'm just worried about my friend Kath, who lives by the beach. She's safe at the mo. So that's something. And can I just say.........see? There are things to be said for Auckland.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    No word from Dr H yet; hoping that's not his Avonside house said to be knocked off its foundations.

    Who wants to bet that Baby Bob thinks this is a grant wheeze? Kids are weird, bless 'em all.

    Stuff Article with pics of central city

    Glad you're fine -- but am I the only person looking at those pix and thanking the deity I believe in (and all the ones I don't) that this didn't happen at rush hour yesterday?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Yep, a tweet a couple of hours ago. Phew. Also Harvestbird and family. No word from Dr H yet; hoping that's not his Avonside house said to be knocked off its foundations.

    I texted David just now, haven't heard back. It does sound like they're likely to have suffered flooding -- the Avon is across the road -- although their house sits quite high on the section. Fingers crossed.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    In Wellington I was woken by the shock - enough to wake up and get under a doorway, and later by an aftershock. Thought no big deal as that is quite common here. Couldn't really believe it when I heard at 7am that it was Christchurch that got the big one this time. Have a friend who moved to Darfield because he didn't like Wellington's earthquake threat. Hope he's OK. Just off to check on our earthquake kit then collect an overseas visitor. And listening to Kim Hill and Mary Wilson doing great reporting on RNZ.
    Best thoughts to people affected.

    And we had this really weird fierce hail storm last night and ice is still all over the garden.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    There are things to be said for Auckland.

    Yes. 'We will all die in a giant volcanic eruption instead', mainly. ;)

    Poor Christchurch. Sorry, y'all.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Robert Urquhart,

    @Craig I've been very much thinking that.

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2009 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    At varsity, my geologist friend Steven always said to forget Wellington, that Christchurch would be next. This was a good two decades ago, but it turns out he was right, and our tipsy scoffing at his undergrad seismic "expertise" was wrong.

    I took a geohazards course in my first year at Canty which basically left me spending the next five and a half years praying that any major natural disaster (earthquake, tsunami, flood, etc) would hold off until I finished university.

    This makes it really fucking ironic that it held off until two and a half weeks after I moved to an earthquake-free zone. Ironic, or....something.

    After acclimatising to living in a massive city on a massive faultline, it was rather terrifying to land in London and see all those chimney pots, precariously poised like certain death over the heads of the unconcerned citizens wandering the streets in happy ignorance of the impending Blitz overhead.

    That was almost precisely my first thought when I visited London for the first time - everything was five stories high! In BRICKS! Were they all mad?

    Well it wasn't my house (mind, I'm in Sockburn/Upper Riccarton, depending on whether you're NZPost or a real estate agent), just a bit of breakage in the kitchen.

    Sockburn seems to be one of the few pretty OK areas - IM'd friends there, they have power and internet. Be very careful with your water, though, you don't know what's got into it - even if it's still running, if you have power, or any way to boil it - boil it before drinking. If it's not running, and you got some out of the taps, boil it.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    In Wellington I was woken by the shock - enough to wake up and get under a doorway, and later by an aftershock. Thought no big deal as that is quite common here. Couldn't really believe it when I heard at 7am that it was Christchurch that got the big one this time.

    Because of the Friuli earthquake when I was a child, that I felt peripherally, whenever there's a litle shake here I automatically think I hope it's not a big one somewhere else. Didn't feel this one though... Hope everyone is okay.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    @Craig - me three.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    The good side of this is that everyone/everything seems to be responding quickly and well. Good work from media online. Good on Key too for flying south.

    People putting lots of pics online giving an idea of damage. I do hope the driver wasn't in the taxi when the bricks came down.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Good work from media online.

    Heard TV One dropped the ball on early coverage again, though?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Robert Urquhart,

    @Lucy To be fair, their Chch building is right in central city and may well have been evacuated or something. (About a block from the 1st smaller pic in the Stuff article). I've seen footage which was probably filmed immediately after.

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2009 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    NatRad are saying there's a boiled water notice for flat areas, so just to reiterate what I said earlier - if it's not out of a bottle, boil it, or don't drink it. I'll be extremely upset if any of you succumb to silly preventable diseases, people.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    Heard TV One dropped

    Can't report firsthand, we're following Radio NZ and Radio Live but someone was not impressed on FaceBook:

    David Slack: What we've seen so far. Christchurch is made of bricks and TV news is made of marshmallow.
    about an hour ago via Twitter

    and

    David Slack: Hey One News, the home of the Exclusive Live Cross, bringing news as it happens, I have an interesting earthquake story for you.
    3 hours ago via Twitter
    . . .
    Terry Williams: Their credit cards have been cut. Cut them some slack Slack.
    54 minutes ago

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Heard TV One dropped the ball on early coverage again, though?

    We only have the pictures on. I can tell you that the graphic keeps shouting at us 7.4 EARTHQUAKE when it has been downgraded to 7.1/7 for a couple of hours now.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Ironic, or....something.

    I'd just warn all residents of Amherst to brace for something big right after your graduation.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    We only have the pictures on. I can tell you that the graphic keeps shouting at us 7.4 EARTHQUAKE when it has been downgraded to 7.1/7 for a couple of hours now.

    Details, man, how can you focus on the details when there's been an EARTHQUAKE?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    I'd just warn all residents of Amherst to brace for something big right after your graduation.

    It didn't happen when I left Wellington, so maybe it's just the next place I move that should be concerned?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Mellopuffy,

    The shake woke us here in Dunedin with a vigorous side to side shaking, then a minute later my sister (in Chch) phoned my cell VERY freaked out, checking whether we had felt that/were ok...

    Frankly a miracle of somesort that it didn't happen during the day, otherwise worse injuries/fatalities would be a certainty. Think the taxi driver is ok, the serious injuries were a guy hit by a falling chimney and another hit by glass...

    Dunedin, NZ • Since Feb 2007 • 63 posts Report Reply

  • Mellopuffy,

    Flights out of Chch airport cancelled for rest of day...

    Dunedin, NZ • Since Feb 2007 • 63 posts Report Reply

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