It has been just over nine weeks since the 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury countryside of New Zealand. Since then, the ground has been shaken with 2718 aftershocks and in some places it can be felt constantly swaying and moving. While the aftershocks are lessening in intensity, the occasional sharp jolt serves as a constant reminder of that frightful, unforgettable night.
People have lost homes and treasured possessions. Some have lost family pets, and others have lost jobs and business premises. The estimated financial cost of $4 billion continues to grow along with the toll on health. $2.4 million has been put aside for trauma counselling as people adjust to an unfamiliar level of sadness, fear and worry.
Everyone in Christchurch has an Earthquake Story.
There are many stories of close calls and near misses as bookshelves fell and chimneys collapsed next to sleeping people. In some places large cracks appeared. In other areas the ground liquefied, squeezing out a thick grey sludge over paths, roads and into homes. Houses moved off foundations as water and sewer systems collapsed. Most of Canterbury went without power at some point, leaving anxious people trapped in the dark.
We Survived the Christchurch Earthquake
Condensed from the author's personal account:
Woodend, North Canterbury 4.35 a.m. on 4th September 2010.
It started with a hard nudge hitting the side of our bed. The bed shook, then it rocked, the walls creaked. We sat up. The bed started rolling. It was above us, below us, squeezing the house, crunching the corners. We half sat, holding an arm out to each other. I thought it was easing but another fierce jolt, followed by a long shuddering rumble, changed everything.
Roaring, smashing, crashing, all around us. I couldn't move off the bed. I couldn't think where it would be safer. We could hear our collection of art glass and genie bottles in the dining room, rattling, sliding, popping and exploding as they hit the tiled floor.
As it slowed down we scrambled off the bed, looking for our clothes in the dark. We stood swooning, shivering and shaking, trying to text our family in Christchurch. We were the lucky ones as our power came back on. A sea of coloured glass covered the kitchen and dining room floors. The china-cabinet door had opened and the crystal, the crockery, holiday mementos; lay cracked and chipped, creating hazardous slivers from one side of the room to the other.
Family in Christchurch Distressed by Earthquake
Ilam, Christchurch: My son and his wife leapt out of bed, tripping and falling into the pitch black hallway. They were thrown about like rag-dolls as they tried to reach their three year old son's bedroom. Two large artwork panels and a fallen mirror blocked their way and the bedroom heater tipped over obstructing the door. My son says it felt like forever, breaking into the bedroom. They spent the rest of the night with traumatised neighbours, huddled under blankets, without power, using cell-phones for light.
New Brighton, Christchurch: My daughter and her husband live by the sea. By the time they got out of bed their two girls were already standing under the bedroom doorframe hugging their sleepy younger sister. They had just been through earthquake drill at school and knew exactly what to do. The surrounding roads were damaged and doors were jammed. As the ground continued to sway, they sat in the dark, listening to the sea, and prayed there would not be a tsunami.
Father's Day after the Earthquake in Christchurch City
Thirty-six hours later, on Father's Day in a devastated Christchurch city, miraculous stories began to circulate. The TV coverage showed collapsed houses, twisted buildings, cars covered in bricks and rubble, but nobody lost a father.
Similarities between the Christchurch and Haiti earthquake.
- Both were shallow side-by-side quakes
- Christchurch 7.1 magnitude / Haiti 7.0 magnitude
Differences between the Christchurch and Haiti earthquake.
- Christchurch, no loss of life / Haiti, 230,000 died
- Christchurch, minor injuries / Haiti, 300,000 injured
Three reasons why Christchurch was spared the enormous losses faced in Haiti.
Timing
The Haiti earthquake happened at 4.53 p.m. on a busy Tuesday afternoon. The Christchurch earthquake happened 4.35 a.m. when most people were home, asleep in their beds.
Building Codes
New Zealanders are world leaders in earthquake engineering and have money to spend on technology. Strict building codes were developed and enforced after previous earthquakes. Most people were safely ensconced in homes of braced timber-framing construction that were able to flex under the strain, but remained in an upright position.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. They do not have strict building construction standards or enforced building codes. As the buildings collapsed and crumbled, over a million people were killed, injured or displaced.
Infrastructure
Some essential services were damaged in Christchurch but the Civil Defence teams, hospitals and emergency services were able to function exceptionally well.
In Haiti, hospitals, roads, rail and communication networks failed, leaving the population hungry, thirsty, trapped and dying.
With such an amazing outcome it must be remembered that New Zealand is an earthquake prone country. Having one major earthquake does not preclude New Zealand from another. There are still lessons to be learnt and improvements to be made. As the ground sways with the jolt of another aftershock we are reminded there is no room for complacency.
Sources: The Press, Christchurch, New Zealand
Brenda Hearn - Greetings from New Zealand. I live and work in Woodend, a small North Canterbury township on the edge of Christchurch city. I am the ...
Join the Conversation