All shook up

[Thomzo]

I'm really glad you guys are safe. It must have been terrifying.

Zoe

[homegrown]

Hi Mandy, its mostly to do with depth, what the ground is made up of and whether its a rock or a roll type, this one measue 7.2, but they're now saying it may have actually been 2 or 3 quakes back to back, sky I'm glad your ok, where by waipara and it was bad enough, if you find you need extra help with clean up let me know, and ofcourse now cantebury's getting hammered by gale force winds, we've got sheets of iron from the neighbours flying around, but the great news is my greenhouse stood up to both quake and wind, must of built it better than I thought.

[123sologne]

Sky, your account of how you lived through the earthquake is just incredible! It is so good you managed to stay calm and focused. I have never lived through an earthquake and cannot imagine how I would react if my house was shaking like yours did. I just hope I could stay calm. It is so nice to hear none of you got hurt after going through the ordeal. You will probably still have to get the house assessed for invisible damages in the walls etc?
Homegrown, I hope the wind has died down now and that everything is still standing. Well done on the super strong greenhouse.

[Millymollymandy]

I'm glad your greenhouse is OK Richard though I must admit that wasn't the first thing I thought about when we heard about the earthquake!

[frozenthunderbolt]

I'm glad your greenhouse is OK Richard though I must admit that wasn't the first thing I thought about when we heard about the earthquake!

Ditto

[oldfella]

Glad that you are all OK, and that was a hell of a early morning call, but at least you can now say you both had moment when the Earth moved for you and whats more, both at the same time.

[Ratsny]

Hi all youse guys,
thanks for all the good vibes - I'm sure that's why our power came on just in time to be able to watch the news on the telly!
What a surreal experience this has been. Glad to hear you other Canty ishers haven't sustained too much damage - we only had a few glass breakages and the power out. Leeston got off pretty lightly. That said, my OH has been out all Sun and Mon with the vol fire brigade taking down unsafe chimneys and covering holes in roofs. Meanwhile with all the lovely sunny Spring weather, I've been gardening. It's too weird while people are just up the road a bit scraping mud out of their houses.
Our 4yr old daughter has been most affected - mostly concerned that her dad grabbed her out of her bed without a by-your-leave! We are being driven slowly up the wall with "but why?". It's pretty hard for her to understand why we even had a "rumble".
I've been getting heaps because after the first aftershock when we knew we were relatively safe but hadn't got warm clothes on yet or found the torch in the dark I was worrying about the double batch of brew I just put down the day before. Even though it promises to be a particularly primo tipple it was more the state of the spare room I was worried about if 46 litres of sticky beer had spilled on the carpet. I think I will name it Rocky 7.1 or maybe The Rumbler.
Seriously though, this area is not one that we would expect to have a large earthquake - NZ has some BIG faultlines so everyone expects Wellington or the Southern Alps to go.
What have I learned?
1. Keep your wind-up torch in your bedside cabinet - not miles away in the garage.
2. If your wind-up solar radio gets used in the garden a lot, don't expect good quality sound when you are trying to hear news reports while the kids are crying. Blimmin dirt makes the cogs graunch something wicked.
3. Definitely set up those few or even 1 water barrel to catch rainwater from your roof. It really sucks to be using your precious fuel to sterilise water to drink in case it has been contaminated. I'm going to get a filter to keep for emergencies now.
4. Don't just dream of having an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven - make it happen people!
5. Specific to earthquakes - google "triangle of life" - it's the space created alongside a solid structure such as a bed or couch if something like a roof falls on it. Getting under a table or desk (as most children are taught to do) is not a safe place if a roof falls in - the legs can give way and leaves no space. Also, don't just go back to bed if you live near the coast. If the quake was centred offshore you could be expecting a tsunami so get ready to scarper in case.

Thanks again for all your good wishes,
I will sign off with a favourite verse from Dr Suess...

Who am I?
My name is Ish.
On my hand I have a dish.
I have this dish
to help me wish.
When I wish to make a wish
I wave my hand with a big swish swish.
Then I say, "I wish for fish!"
And I get fish right on my dish.
So...
if you wish to wish a wish,
you may swish for fish
with my Ish wish dish.

[Green Aura]

Good to hear from you ratsny.

Is that everyone accounted for now? What about Possum?

[Millymollymandy]

Ratsny I'd add to your list a compost or chemical toilet as I read in the news report that residents of ChCh were told not to flush their toilets because of probable damage to the city's sewage system. OK you can pee outside in the garden or bucket and chuck it in the compost but no. twos......hmmmmm And people in flats don't even have gardens. Glad you are OK too.

[MuddyWitch]

First & foremost I'm REALLY glad that no-one was killed (as far as I've heard) in this event.

Now a bit of science, curtesy of my youngest (vulcanologist are pretty good on Earthquakes too, apparently!):

'The magnitude of most earthquakes is measured on the Richter scale, invented by Charles F. Richter in 1934. The Richter magnitude is calculated from the amplitude of the largest seismic wave recorded for the earthquake, no matter what type of wave was the strongest.

The Richter magnitudes are based on a logarithmic scale (base 10). What this means is that for each whole number you go up on the Richter scale, the amplitude of the ground motion recorded by a seismograph goes up ten times. Using this scale, a magnitude 5 earthquake would result in ten times the level of ground shaking as a magnitude 4 earthquake (and 32 times as much energy would be released).'

Also, she says, that this 'quake has opened up a whole new fault in the area of Christchurch. Sorry NZ Ishers, I realise you really didn't want to hear that, but it's excited the geological boffins.

MW

[Millymollymandy]

I've just heard that my cousin does live near Christchurch but no major damage there, just breakages. I'm only in touch with her sister in Oz but all my family who I am in touch with and friends in NZ are in the North Island.

[Keaniebean]

Wow some really scary experiences there. I can't believe how calm you all seem to have stayed. I'm glad your all OK though.

Ratsny, I love the name 'The Rumbler' it sounds like it will be a fine brew.

[bonniethomas06]

Blimey, how on earth have I managed to completely avoid this news story? I have been keeping an eye on the news as I usually do, but nothing?
Really really glad that you are OK.

[Bikil]

Glad everyone is okay! And now you know that you are all good in a crisis. It seems you all did exactly what you should!

[dingdong]

Hiya all. What a time everyone in NZ has been having I just hope things settle down soon and you can all get sorted out. Keep safe and best wishes.