7.4 Earthquake in Christchurch, NZ, US offers to send troops to the two injured.

[Timo]

As you may be aware there was a massive 7.4 earthquake here yesterday, with aftershocks still continuing to rock the city. Two injured, a few facades fell off some buildings in town and a bunch of chimneys have collapsed.

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New Zealand had turned down offers of support from the US military, based in Hawaii, and the UN he said. This was met with surprise, he said.
Article (massive):http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4096872/KiwiRail-sends-water-to-quake-hit-Christchurch

Greatest part is that i've scored another week of holidays as the university has sustained a fair bit of damage, downside is that i've lost my study week for finals :smith:

e:Some pics:

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1283657103/833/4097833_600x400.jpg
http://iforce.co.nz/i/ni23vwoe.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs412.snc4/47555_144356052268305_100000817344046_192600_27071 72_n.jpg

Flooding's been caused by burst water mains in a few areas.

[Guardian]

Are you serious about the US troops thing?
I haven't heard anything about any other countries getting involved.
I haven't really been watching the news though.

[Siliconmaster]

Oh wow- I hadn't heard anything about it. Glad you weren't hurt.

[Kornman00]

So only two people were injured so far? Good thing one of those two wasn't a certain...Timo http://kornnersoftware.com/trillian/da_real_timo.gif

I'm all for helping but...at the moment, couldn't those "troops" be put to better use in States? I don't think we have as many C130s flying out to NZ than say LA or whatever. What about NZ's neighbor, the Aussies? If they needed help, wouldn't they be a better choice?

I guess there are still reserve units in Hawaii which haven't met their two-weeks a year yet heh.

[Bodzilla]

Aussies have already started donating from what i heard

also a tour plane for sky divers went down in new zealand the same day, and an aussie died :(

[Timo]

I love fox news, according to them:

At least 500 buildings, including 90 downtown properties, have been designated as destroyed in the 7.1-magnitude quake that struck at 4:35 a.m. Saturday (1635 GMT Friday) near the South Island city of 400,000 people. Most other buildings sustained only minor damage.

Around 2 buildings have been destroyed (about that much have been damaged with collapsed chimneys), the two that have been shown on TV were situated directly over the fault line. Aftershocks are finally starting to die out thankfully.

[Bodzilla]

so whats it like timo?

always wanted to experience a cyclone, i'm not sure wether i want to experience a earthquake though.
is it a bit of a rush and adrenaline kicks in or what?

[Guardian]

FFFFFFFFFF I live in the country and I still haven't heard about other countries offering to help. Shows how much news I watch.

The worst we get in Whangarei is a couple of floods and a 10cm high tsunami....

[CN3089]

rip corgy

[Timo]

so whats it like timo?

always wanted to experience a cyclone, i'm not sure wether i want to experience a earthquake though.
is it a bit of a rush and adrenaline kicks in or what?

Our flat was up drinking till 4, so I was still awake at 4:35am when it hit. At first I thought someone was running up the stairs, but it kept getting worse. Then the power went out and I jumped in a door frame :F.It wasn't as intense as the Gisborne Earthquake, which was of a lower magnitude but the most intense part lasted for a good twenty seconds, where as this one it only lasted for one or two. Was standing in the doorway just hoping it wasn't going to continue. I don't trust this state house as far as I can throw it.

What got me the most was the aftershocks. After the Gisborne quake there were no noticeable aftershocks at all. Here there's been aftershocks up to a magnitude of 5.0, each going for a few seconds. They've died down now, but you could still feel them ~36 hours after the quake.

Even weirder is what got hit. West of the CBD there was little to no damage, the odd chimney broken. The CBD suffered a bit of damage with some brick walls collapsing. There's still some parts east of the CBD that are without power, sewage systems and water, and some areas are flooded due to burst water mains. Really weird considering the epicentre was around 30km west of CHCH.

Adrenaline was pumping like mad for a good couple of hours after the quake, especially with the aftershocks rolling through. It was pretty unnerving.


edit: Here's someone else experience around ten kms north of my house:


First time I've been able to get online. I live down Locksley Ave in Dallington/Avonside - one of the worst areas to be affected.
The place looks like a ****ing warzone.
In the last two days I have literally shovelled 4 tons of silt off my property and dumped it over the road.
I have crevasses running all through the property, the worst of which is 2ft wide and 1.5 metres deep.

The house? The house is ****ed. It's shifted off its foundations. Half the house went 3 inches one way and the other half went 3 inches the other way. It's not fit for habitation. There's no water and no power still. We have a place to stay temporarily but nowhere to live.

It was the most terrifying two days of my life - even moreso when the lives of my kids were dependent on every decision I made. We stood in the driveway during the quake and watched the earth and concrete rip apart like paper. I will never EVER forget that sound.

I had so much adrenaline running through my body that I literally carried my wife, baby and 11 year old, jumping over emerging cracks to relative safety. Didn't trust it inside - we had to get out. I don't know where I got that strength - adrenaline is an amazing thing.

I have some amazing photos but no way of uploading them at present.

Am only just able to relax - I've been on edge since the first big shake. My body has been permanently coiled and ready to react with every aftershock. Horrific times GPOD, horrific times.

Not entirely sure what happens from here.


eeeeeeedit:Here's a map of all the earthquakes that occured in the past two days
http://iforce.co.nz/i/x33uqh42.png


eeeeeeeeeeeeee:A picture my brother took yesterday morning after the quake. Sums up how lucky/unlucky some people were:

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/246/f/a/contrasting_fortunes_by_niv24-d2xyajj.jpg

[CN3089]

You'd think with all that shaking some people would have fallen off the bottom of the earth!

[Timo]

Here's some photos taken on campus: http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/photos.shtml

GL to the librarians that have to sort that shit out, lol.

[Timo]

Seriously not cool. Just been hit with about 4 really shallow 5-6 magnitude quakes in the last half hour. Looks like i'll be sleeping in my clothes tonight :|

[Timo]

Well in light of the biggest aftershock yet hitting at around 8am this morning, Uni is closed for another week until the 20th. Praise jeebus.

e: Here's a pretty sweet map showing the earthquakes over time http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

CCTV footage of the original quake:
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This picture is from foodstuffs, the company that supplies most of the supermarkets down here with food
http://www.gpforums.co.nz/attachment.php?s=&postid=7382717

[Kornman00]

lol, that drink fridge looks like it's trying to escape.

Well...I wonder if the foodstuffs company believes in the 5 second day rule?

[Timo]

Not sure, but all I know is that they lost a fair few million dollars worth of alcohol. sad times :[

[quiksilver2k1]

man sorry to see that, have you contacted Corgy at all to see if he's survived?

[Timo]

He's fine on the other side of the country, Christchurch was the only town worth mentioning that was hit bad.

[Bodzilla]

man sorry to see that, have you contacted Corgy at all to see if he's survived?
holly shit i remember you.