7.1 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand

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I've heard in the news that nobody died from the earthquake, which is very interesting.

The collapsed buildings are generally quite old commercial ones that are brick and 2 stories tall - with the time of day they were empty, luckily otherwise would have been very bad.
Most people live in 1 story brick or wood houses. A few people had their bedrooms collapse on them but got out OK. One teenage kid was on the second floor of a place and got shaken out of bed, the outer wall collapsed and he fell onto the street, but was OK

My Mum was down there yesterday for the weekend (what a weekend to visit), the house she was in had the chimneys collapse, she spent the morning hiding under the kitchen table, aftershocks kept coming!

They have strict building codes for earthquakes and thankfully it happened at 4.30am on a Saturday rather than a few hours later. They are still getting aftershocks and now there are gale force winds on the way. Here's some of the pics from today: http://www.crashbang.co.nz/quake040910/index.html

those are nice pictures.

The long term impact on infrastructure is more the concern.

Christchurch is built on a drained swamp that sits on a vast alluvial plain, it's water supply is from the aquifer deep in this plain, this has been disrupted and it is expected that water levels in various bores and wells will have changed.
The sewerage system is breached in over 200 places [sundays count].
The alluvial plain liquefied to varying degrees and this has damaged a huge number of suburban homes, many will be declared unsafe. The old inner city contains many old buildings that will be declared unsafe as will many of the flats within the 'four avenues'.
Still this can all be sorted out and no one died and everyone I know down there is so far so good.

peace j

The aftermath of the Canterbury quake : http://www.stuff.co.nz/4095395/7-1-earthquake-photos
When the quake hit: "I woke to a sound I could not believe, shocked as my home shook and I was shaken. The world just moved below my feet, the lights were out and I could not speak. I moved in darkness as could not see, their was broken glass surrounding me. I put on my shoes and run outside, there was no lights for as far as I could see. But I smiled knowing my boys were safe and kept them close by me." to survive such an experience in away life changing and I feel reason, as sure jolted me into reality again

Right now We continue to feel the aftershocks, they seem to come back stronger stirring up too much for me tonight, its like a continual vibration in between at present that makes it hard to relax, another sleepless night I feel... feeling like I did the day before the big one, really agitated and they are bigger and longer to night. Think I will attempt to sleep in my younger sons room, ready if need to get up fast... but while I try not to let them stress me in the day time, easy to keep busy, harder at night to ignore. There has been over 100 after shocks since the big one and 30 plus of them significant ones.

Anyway anyone else from Canterbury, NZ your not alone.... and the good news we are all still safe, broken glass, homes etc.. can be fixed.[b]

Recent aftershocks : http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/qua ... uakes.html

wow that is crazy! I know you had to be scared. Is new zealand prone to earthquakes like that??? I heard that the safest place in a quake is against a study doorframe if you cannot get away from the building

Some are talking that the los Angelos, CA might be due for a really big quake soon.
What is with the earthquakes and volcanos lately??? the earthquake scientists say that the number of earth quakes have not increased worldwide but we are experiencing a larger number of severe ones.

The only time I ever remember being in an earthquake was in Illinois, but it was not severe like that one...just rattled the dishware ailttle. But most of my life, I lived in tornato territory( have plenty of stories about them)... but not quake zones.

anyway, you and your kids stay safe.

didn't ya'll just have a hurricane wiz past you, recently, as well?

I wrote this poem to give some insight what the earth quake was and after shock are like, but in way so much more intense, almost surreal at the time, a life changing event. And that's why I feel what ever we do, what ever situation it becomes a kind of norm after a while, just the way it is for that part of time. Myself while I realize everyone does not think the same, I am beginning to understand why many stay in places that others think unsafe, I thought here was, but the world bigger than us all I guess..

Earth Quake Zone
(Christchurch 2010)
What can I say
Just another day
I woke up to a sound
A dream gone wrong
I was totally shocked
My home danced on
It did not seem real
As it moved about
Louder and louder
Like an explosion
In the quite of night
I could feel it inside
I could not speak
My whole body shook
I wanted to hide
The world had moved
Right under my feet
I was shaken about
I could not believe
My mind was racing
What could it be
I wanted to shout
I thought of my boys
I called their names
As I run to find help
Total still darkness
The lights were out
Distance noises
Screams and shouts
Then everyone came
It was late in the night
And no one could see
There was broken glass
I put on my shoes
I found my boys
I found a torch
We ran outside
My boys close by me
Still in the quake zone
My home seemed ok
My family were safe
And I was a awake
I decided to prepare
Not sure what for
I sat for a moment
I started to organize
What we may need
In case of a next time
What should I do
Automatically I started
Picking up the broken
Made more secure
Exhausted inside
I continual to smile
As all that mattered
We were all alive
Cars started coming
Escaping for safety
They came up our hill
Mothers with babies
Listening to radios
Wanting to know
Needed some reason
What should we do
Aftershocks started
Continual to happen
So scary at times
When the big ones hit
Vibrations and motion
Makes me feel sick
Sensory overload
Will do what I need to
Try and stay positive
A challenge ahead
A reminder to respect
Our life and our world
By Alyson Bradley
Cashmere, Christchurch

omgosh I would freak out completely, the earth moving around underneath me...hugs

NZherald web site earth quake tracking events animated map : http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

How are you coping with the after-shocks? I know it is stressing a lot of people I know, some are leaving the city.

wow great poem...I like how you used short stanzas gives the feeling of short of breath...kind of a panic.

I am glad you are okay. When things like this happen it is sobering to remember how finite we are on this ancient planet. I remember a time when a tornado took the roof off the day care center my sister and I were at. I was 8 and she was 6 months old. I was very scary and confusing.

you talk about the after shocks and sensory overload...that must be overwhelming to not know when they will reoccur.

take care of your self and your sons....and try meditation and relaxation methods to help with being overwhelmed. Just stay in the moment, try not to think about what happened or what will happen. The worst is over, so just focus on the moment you are in. If you get paniced, try deep slow breaths for a minute or two. it produces endorphins which are the happy chemical in your brain

Strangely I seem to be coping better than many, I guess I tend not to worry about what has not happen and what has while stressful could of been so much worst, we are all alive and the damage in the city can be replaced. I admit sensory wise hard at times because I seem to pick up on all the ramblings and vibrations that many don't... but in a strange way I am sort of too use to the after shocks, I have water and electricity and a home, so I am lucky as many worst off.

And I feel at times things happen that seem to change the course of events, the last year for me has been one of the worst. Someone dear passed away and sent many lives into chaos, stuck beneath a dark cloud. And just as the sun seem to shine bright the earth quake struck, almost like a stress release for all I have had to deal with and as it slowly calms some how the magic of the world has returned for me anyway.

Tonight I sit and wonder will I sleep at all, the after shocks have quieten down a little, but are still their. It's like just as I begin to relax another one appears a reminder of what was and what could be. However positive I am, have ever much I try and switch them off for a while, they keep coming back. I guess I am going to have to get use to, living with what is and has been.

At times events happen out of our control, we have no choice but to simply go with the flow. At times a roller coaster of emotion, from fear to hope and back again. And so I can not help but wonder, will my life ever be the same as the chain reaction continues. And takes us on a journey, that once started has no real end and as we turn each corner, its full of twist and bends!

When the big band explosion happen here and shock my world, I kind of went into shock and into auto mode. But when outside within the dark of night, I looked up and high above the sky was full of stars. And as the movement of the earth shifted and changed shape, course of time, the universe itself, maybe now we exist within a parallel to what we may never know!