Busytown: The shakes
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Yeah, that's what hit me walking around Avonside yesterday: how long is it going to take to fix all that?
Our kids go to school in the CBD, and one of the buildings is really OLD. No idea what kind of shape that's in, but safe to assume they'll be home for a few days yet.
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And what a shame that will be for them! In the old days, we would have been quite anxious to get to school to see all our mates and catch up, now I guess they all text like mad anyway.
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I guess they all text like mad anyway
Son's phone went off before the first aftershock.
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I'm going to be quite interested to find out how many facades have collapsed in heritage buildings which have been strengthened in recent years.
My impression from a walk around the centre city yesterday morning - as cordon was being put in place - was that those buildings that have been strengthened held up well - the MED substations and the old Canterbury Provincial Chambers (now the Environment Court) seemed untouched, as did the Cathedral - lots of work has gone on there.
Our church - Durham St, the oldest stone church in Christchurch (older than the Cathedral) hasn't come off so well. Not too obviously damaged - but a big crack in the north tower. Dad went inside (he's the steward) and said that there's a 2 inch gap between a supporting beam and that which it supports.
St John's Latimer Square (stone) lost a tower, and the brick hall was badly affected.
Churches and unstrengthened victorian brickwork have been worst affected.
(By the way - we kind of knew we should stay at home (Cambridge Terrace) but with all that adrenaline in your system that's really hard. Walking and cycling around at a safeish distance was our compromise)
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The other thing I noticed was that it felt like Christmas in some ways.
Lots of people on the street chatting and friendly and no traffic - people couldn't shop or watch TV so they talked to each other - lots of phone calls from people checking in.
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The other thing I noticed was that it felt like Christmas in some ways.
Lots of people on the street chatting and friendly and no traffic - people couldn't shop or watch TV so they talked to each other - lots of phone calls from people checking in.
The Blitz spirit. Lovely. As I said to a woman in the supermarket today when I let her go ahead of me, and she told me how kind - if Cantabrians can deal with a major earthquake with civility and calm, the least the rest of us can do is be nice to each other. At least for a while, before we forget how important our fellow human beings are.
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Of course there will -- zombies are always cool. Law of nature.
Though they are somewhat unlikely. Isn't that depressing?
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The Blitz spirit
It was the same in the bay Area after Loma Prieta - everything just sort of stopped for a few days even in places that weren't so badly damaged like our neighbourhood - people just had this one common experience to share (the day after 9/11 and after the Oakland Hills fire were a bit like that too)
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Anthropogenic Geology - sweet.
Back at Linc Uni we mentioned it in passing but weren't Engineers so it was just chat.
That is really interesting. Like when you mine under a town it subsides, taking vast amounts of 10000yr old water out in vast volumes in a short time might have a physical response other than drying up.I think all of Christchurch are getting their sea legs, we are just rocking with the waves, even if they're not there.
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JLM,
Any information about the old Teacher's College buildings conversions near Cranmer Square? I saw a hint somewhere they had been affected.
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(By the way - we kind of knew we should stay at home (Cambridge Terrace) but with all that adrenaline in your system that's really hard. Walking and cycling around at a safeish distance was our compromise)
I did think about what I would've done. And I would have been constitutionally incapable of staying put. As you say, walking and cycling are a decent compromise.
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Sheet, that was a big aftershock...
Looking at the timestamp on your post, you're not wrong. That was the one Geonet had at 5.1.
I actually can't imagine what it would be like experiencing nearly 60 separate aftershocks since the main quake.
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I actually can't imagine what it would be like experiencing nearly 60 separate aftershocks since the main quake.
It's not making sleeping very easy. But basically I've stopped bothering reacting for anything less than a five.
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I'm also now slightly less sanguine about sleeping three feet from a 19th century brick wall which is the only thing between me and a 5 metre drop to the street...
Wellington City Council has driven a massive project to identify and strengthen earthquake-prone buildings. Including just about all blocks of flats/apartments.
Do you know whether your building has been through that?
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But basically I've stopped bothering reacting for anything less than a five.
We'll make a Wellingtonian of you yet!
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And I would have been constitutionally incapable of staying put
Amazing the strong, fundamental human need to check out what's going on, how others are. Makes you wonder how neolib dolts ever managed to deny there's such a thing as society.
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I got the impression it went like this.
Reporter filling in time: There might be looting in the ciity.
Reporter to Police: Has there been any looting?
Police: No
Reporter to P: Is there likely to be looting?
P: We are keeping a look out.
News Break: The police are expecting looting.
Next Reporter filling in: The have been reports of looting.
Next Radio Station Report grabbing anything: Police have said that there have been reports of looting.
Reporter (deperate for an edge) Please please please let there be looting.
News Break: Damn, no looting.And on....and on...
Fact: Two people arrested. Reporter: WHAT? Only two? No rampaging gangs?
Re the Avon being high and dry. Bit of a bugger when the slope to the sea is rather slight and when a bit gets heaved up one discovers that the laws of physics in fact do work in Christchruch too: Water does not flow up hills!!
I'm waiting for the sewers that too have been lifted a tad and lost their fall to fill up and...well..."CD have asked folk in (pick suburb here and everyone upwind) not to take a dump." And by that stage, in all likelihood some homes will have become banked up a wee bit.
That will make the Heathcote and the Avon the only way out for the overload no doubt.
Anyone want to buy shares in portaloos?
Oh...and has anyone seen any cruisers doing the rounds and/or getting arrested???? After all it is the weekend.
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But basically I've stopped bothering reacting for anything less than a five.
We'll make a Wellingtonian of you yet!
And a roving calibrated seismologist out of her!!
I wonder what's the different actions Emma partakes in for one at 4.9 and 5.1??
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I have to say, the looting thing seems rather overblown. It's a Friday night in central Christchurch, which while not Beirut is still the kind of place you expect minor criminality. People nicking alcohol seems pretty run of the mill.
Lots of people biking around yesterday. Inner city very eerie.
PS. the Liquorland down the road was doing a brisk trade by 11 o'clock the next day. Tho' I wondered how many people just wanted to see how the glass bottles had survived.
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Avonside is munted, basically.
Just got back from the Warehouse with a bag of candles to find the power on. Hallelujah. Civil defence called while I was out to ask if I wanted to be evacuated. Life will be good once the portaloos and water show up.
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This would never have happened if they'd left Hubbard in charge of South Cantebury Finance. Lousy interfering government.
And I would like to take this opportunity to remind everybody that there has never been an earthquake of these proportions in this area under a Labour Government, because Labour Cares.
Emma and family are feeling fortunate to have both electricity and sewerage.
I would have thought Sewerage was one of the things you wouldn't want to have. However, electric poos do sound kinda different.
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Wellington City Council has driven a massive project to identify and strengthen earthquake-prone buildings.
Chch council had similar work proposed - but resisted by commercial property owners, of course. Guess we'll all bail them out through increased insurance premiums now.
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I saw the head of police say there had been a couple of guys who threw bricks through show windows. More active than opportunistically grabbing stuff, but certainly not a rash of lawlessness either. Putting them in stocks might be good punishment as I doubt their fellow citizens would be amused.
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Civil defence called while I was out to ask if I wanted to be evacuated. Life will be good once the portaloos and water show up.
As my lexically correct father-in-law never fails to point out: places are evacuated of people. Whereas people are evacuated of... well, that's when you need your portaloo.
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Putting them in stocks might be good punishment as I doubt their fellow citizens would be amused.
And that is what Christchurch has a square for.
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