New Zealand Shakes

My blood ran cold. Less than an hour ago New Zealand started being shaken by a series of earthquakes from Hamner Springs in South Island through the capital, Wellington, at the southern tip of North Island and up through the North Island. The 'quakes are continuing unabated as I write.

There is now a tsunami warning:

I can only begin to imagine how everyone is feeling and I hope that everyone stays safe. My thoughts are with you all.

It's the middle of the night in New Zealand too which always makes things seem worse.

 

An Earthquake, a Birthday and Memories

Not long after 23:51 UTC (12:51 pm on February 22 New Zealand time) four years ago today I was in The Cottage in New Zealand when I received a text from a friend who was visiting Christchurch.  During the next few hours and for some time after almost everyone with the slightest connection to Christchurch and most people in New Zealand together with the World's press were focussed on the City. I can think of few things that have not affected me personally and directly that had and have continued to have a greater impact on my emotions. At the time I wrote the following post for my New Zealand blog.

Just after 1400 hrs today I received a text from a friend who is visiting Christchurch to say that there had been another large earthquake in the City.   It immediately became obvious that the quake was significantly more serious than the larger quake last September which was further away from Christchurch, much deeper and, most importantly, instead of being in the middle of the night when CBD (Central Business District = City Centre) was empty it happened just before 1pm when the buildings and streets were full.  Communication with the City had been temporarily cut off when power and telecommunications lines were disrupted or destroyed.  It took a short while for the television and radio networks (which were themselves damaged) to get up and running with their independent satellite equipment.

Reference Number	3468575[View event in Google Maps]
Universal Time	February 21 2011 at 23:51
NZ Daylight Time	Tuesday, February 22 2011 at 12:51 pm
Latitude, Longitude	43.60°S, 172.71°E
Focal Depth	5 km
Richter magnitude	6.3
Region	Canterbury
Location	Within 5 km of Lyttelton Within 5 km of Diamond Harbour 10 km south-east of Christchurch

Living in New Zealand one is constantly aware of earthquakes which, generally speaking, do little serious damage.   If one lives in Napier the effect of the 1931 earthquake which destroyed the City with huge loss of life and very significant geological effect in the area one is even more aware of what can happen.

However I cannot explain the feelings of anxiety knowing that someone you know and care about is involved even when you know that they survived the initial quake unscathed.  I cannot even begin to imagine how people with relatives and friends who are missing are feeling at this time.  At the time I'm writing this 65 have been confirmed dead but it is expected that that number will rise.

A State of Emergency has been declared.

The television and radio have been on the air with updating news since the quake.  The friend who texted had no idea of the seriousness at the time because they had no power and therefore no TV or radio.   See TV NZ.  

One of the reasons I'll never forget the date is that it was that friend's Birthday. 

Next year it is my intention to return to New Zealand and my spiritual second home.  Next year it will be 5 years since that particular earthquake. Next year I hope to return to Christchurch and see how much has happened since the 'quake and implant new memories of the City in my mind.

Thankful Thursday: Christchurch

I was looking for a photo this evening and I happened to come across some of the photos I took when I was in South Island, New Zealand in January 2007.  It seems such a long time ago.  These were taken in the centre of Christchurch.  Those of you who follow my life in New Zealand will know how traumatic the earthquake which wreaked such devastation in Christchurch was.  

I have absolutely no idea why I should be posting about such memories on a Thankful Thursday post except that I believe that I should be able to quell the tears that welled up and find something positive to say.  After all none of my visits to that beautiful city coincided with the earthquake and I've not been back there since.  I must remedy that this coming year.

However I feel that anything I say will be inadequate.  So I shall simply leave you all with the reminder and leave you to think of the effect such an event would have on your life and how you would feel and perhaps count your blessings.

Christchurch

On 4 September last year I posted A Reminder about the Christchurch earthquake of that day.  Since then there have been over 8,000 - yes eight thousand - earthquakes large and small affecting the area.  Fiona from Four Paws and Whiskers who has been one of my principal links (via her blog and Faceboook) with the traumas of Cantabrians during the last year today drew 2011 Back into the CBD Sept 05 - part 1 to our attention.  The whole sequence of photos will give you an idea of the physical anguish of the City.  It will not, of course, show you the huge loss of homes and all the mental anguish that goes with living on constantly moving ground.

Oddly enough for me one of the most emotional of the photos was of a large piece of equipment.  It represents the final indignity for a building.  When the building has been demolished the concrete is fed into this machine and spewed out the other end as foundation fill for the next building.
 

A Reminder

One of the things about living in New Zealand in general and Napier in particular is the ever-present threat of earthquakes.  I have experienced minor quakes but never anything too bad.  They are, however, quite scary even at fairly low magnitude when things fall off bookcases!   Last night my time and in the middle of rural France as I am the internet came into its own when I learned of the huge earthquake which had some six hours previously struch Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.  I am acquainted with a number of people in Christchurch and many friends have friends and family there - New Zealand is a 'small' place in that it's 4 million or so population is spread far and thin.

To give some idea of what Christchurch is going through the distribution of the last 30 earthquakes in NZ is shown on the following map.  The four not concentrated over Christchurch happened on 1/2 September but the 26 over Christchurch have all been in the last 24 hours.

The following five happened within about an hour starting (bottom first) with the major 7.1 magnitude quake.

Some of the pictures to be found on New Zealand's Television Station website are:

And the very latest note from a friend in Christchurch: