Earthquake in New Zealand 9/4/2010

[luvlz2]

The powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that smashed buildings, cracked roads and twisted rail lines aound a New Zealand city also ripped a new 11-foot-(3.5 meter-) wide fault in the earth's surface, officials said Sunday.

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

Only two serious injuries were reported as the quake shattered glass and chimneys and walls of older buildings crumbled to the ground. The prime minister said it was a miracle no one was killed.

Power was cut across the region, roads were blocked by debris, and gas and water supplies were disrupted. Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said. He warned continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings, as could gale force winds due to buffet the region Sunday.

Canterbury University geology professor Mark Quigley said what "looks to us that it could be a new fault" had ripped across the earth and pushed some surface areas up about three feet (a meter). The quake was caused by the ongoing collision between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, he said.

"One side of the earth has lurched to the right...up to 11 feet (3.5 meters) and in some places been thrust up." Quigley told National Radio.

"The long linear fracture on the earth's surface does things like break apart houses, break apart roads. We went and saw two houses that were completely snapped in half by the earthquake." he said.

Roger Bates, whose dairy farm at Darfield was close to the quake's epicenter, said the new fault line had ripped up the surface across his land.

"The whole dairy farm is like the sea now, with real (soil) waves right across the dairy farm. We don't have physical holes (but) where the fault goes through it's been raised a meter or meter and a half (3 to 5 feet), " he told National Radio.

"Trouble is, I've lost two meters (6 feet) of land off my boundary," he added.

Experts said the low number of injuries in the powerful quake reflects the country's strick building codes.

read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100905/ap_on_re_as/as_new_zealand_earthquake

[luvlz2]

I know we have at least one member on this board from New Zealand. So tom kid did you feel it? Hope everything is alright.

[manderlyh]

Crikey. I have two friends who are in Australia right now--they're doing the foreign exchange student thing. I wonder if they felt it, but truly, I don't know where in Australia they are.

I hope the Kiwis on this board are all safe, and there isn't any damage to their homes!

[Emma Jane]

The other member from New Zealand is Kiwi_Zep_Fan87. She checked into the forum last night so she's ok! Thank Goodness! She lives in Auckland (upper north island) so my guess is that Aucklanders wouldn't even have felt any sort of impact.

tomkid to my knowledge also lives in Auckland. So, he's alright too! Thank Goodness!

[ally]

Have friends in New Plymouth and all seems to be well

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

The other member from New Zealand is Kiwi_Zep_Fan87. She checked into the forum last night so she's ok! Thank Goodness! She lives in Auckland (upper north island) so my guess is that Aucklanders wouldn't even have felt any sort of impact.

tomkid to my knowledge also lives in Auckland. So, he's alright too! Thank Goodness!

Hey there Emma! I'm alive and well! Thanks! Auckland is pretty safe! *touch wood

But I still feel so fuckin' lousy about the whole thing! Thank God there were no casualties though!!!

Edited September 5, 2010 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87

[SuperDave]

I have a friend who just returned from New Zealand last week. But he was mostly in Auckland. I visited New Zealand back in 2001, including Christchurch. Loved the country and this city. Lot to see and do and just had a great time. Too bad for this devastation, but so glad no one was killed...amazing with a 7.1 quake. Around the same strength that struck Haiti, but a completely different story there.

[Reggie29]

My mate Chris (also my drummer) and his wife Cathy were due to fly over the ditch early yesterday morning, they were going to Christchurch first but were delayed as all flights out of Sydney were cancelled until this morning.

I spoke to him on my mobile and they're all good.

He said the devastation from the air was unreal.

Thankfully there weren't any loss of life and they don't suffer any serious aftershocks.

On a brighter note he saw Bill Wyman and his family at Sydney Airport.

[BUCK'EYE' DOC]

I am so glad that all of our NZ members are OK!

And it is a miracle that no one was killed in this disaster. The damage looks extensive. I hope that the country will recover and rebuild.

[redrum]

Being a native Californian, all I can say is.....Yikes!