Earthquake Report: Christchurch June 14
On Monday, I posted to let you know that we had had two further major earthquakes here in Christchurch (what I thought then was a 5.5 and 6.0) but had basically come through safely physcially but with further damage to both house and land, particularly the latter in terms of liquefaction.
As of yesterday, June 14 NZ time, the 5.5 had been upgraded to a 5.6 and the 6.0 to a 6.3, exactly the same level of magnitude as the major February 22nd quake. This does not surprise me, I have to say, as it was a pretty scary few seconds while the world rocked and rolled in a fashion very reminiscent of February 22. The main difference from a subjective point of view was the duration: I am reasonably sure that yesterday’s 6.3 earthquake was shorter. But I use the word “subjective” advisedly since I haven’t been able to find evidence to confirm my perception of duration yet.
The other new piece of information from yesterday was that these earthquakes were generated from a new fault, distinct from both the September 4 and February 22nd events, so that really does make it seem as though Christchurch is fracturing apart. The other question it begs is how long, really, we can expect this to go on. The experts talk about a 1 year to 18 month period of aftershocks, but it is less clear whether this is 1 year to 18 months (approximately!) from the original September 4 quake or 12-18 months from each individual earthquake off a distinct fault. Hard to know, but I fear the latter—and while it’s nice to be special, one can definitely have too much of a good thing!
Far too much of a … “thing”—because to be honest, I think we can leave the “good” out of it altogether. Talking briefly with neighbours yesterday as the process of digging out liquefaction began again, everyone expressed the same sense of weariness, but also the very real fear that the same process may just happen all over again in a few weeks or months time. And each time homes and land get just a little more damaged, a little closer to the point where you wonder whether they will stand up to the next major quake–and yesterday, there was a moment when I honestly thought that the house might shake apart around me.
Of course, once it’s all over you chide yourself for having a too-vivid writerly imagination, but in the moment—well, you certainly wonder …
So what does it mean to be a citizen of the eastern suburbs right now?
In many ways, it feels back—or very close to back—to square one as of February 22nd, ie:
- There’s a lot of digging out to do;
- Most people have power but there’s still some that don’t;
- Most people have water as well, but not everyone does—and we’re back to boiling water again in order to be safe for drinking;
- Many people, perhaps even most, don’t have working sewer again and this may not change for some time
I think the biggest loss though, one that began with September 4 and has extended with every additional major event, is the loss of community. In our area, all the high school have been closed since February 22nd with pupils being bused to the west side of the city ot premise-share with the schools there. It has been suggested that one of these may never reopen because the damage to buildings and land has been so extensive. One major mall has been closed since February 22nd and a large number of churches, clubs and community facilities are unusable. We have lost a raft of smaller retailers, particularly restaurants, cafes, wine bars and the other venues that give a community its “flavour.” So all those networks that make up a community: schools, places to meet and socialise, are all gone.
Even simple things like going for a walk along the river are difficult: at a practical level, because the road is so broken up and the area physically difficult to negotiate; at an emotional level because all the waterways in this part of Christchurch are pretty much open sewers right now. And everyone you know is living with loss and uncertainty: homes, jobs and businesses have been lost by some; others are living in houses that are badly damaged and not knowing whether the insurance decision will be ‘repair’ or ‘rebuild’ or ‘write off completely’.
So that’s it, life from the suburbs in a city that’s just been hit by its third major earthquake event in 9 months, but in that total period has experienced a total of 7371 recorded earthquakes.
In the end there’s very little choice, you just have to be zen about it: “the way is easy, keep going; the way is hard, keep going: keep going.”
But at the moment, the way is definitely very hard.
It’s a measure of your skill as a writer that you can be so clear-eyed about this – and yet, how hard it is to have any vision right now for the future of Christchurch. New Zealanders’ hearts are with you.
SO thinking of you guys. Ugh. Just the prospect of it all going on, and on, and on… 🙁
I admire your stoicism, Helen, and that of so many Cantabrians. It must be so emotionally draining, let alone the reality of the physical environment you have to endure.
Big virtual hugs!
Gosh how awful. Thank you for your clear account of the situation.One feels for you and at the same time feels so helpless at not being able to help. Keep smiiling, keep writing.
Warmest wishes,
Thank you all for your wonderful support–I will answer you all more fully later but for now, just “thank you.”
With every quake, you sort of lower your expectations for the future. At first, we heard that there would be aftershocks, possibly one as big as 6.1 but it would all die out. Then we get the 6.3 and we’re told it’s the aftershock predicted, just come later than expected. Then this happens and we’re told that this is not behaving as expected and this could continue for who knows how long.
It’s one kick in the teeth after another. Every time you go down a new street, you see fresh disaster, and then more gets added. It’s like watching your city taken apart, one pile of bricks at a time. I really admire you, Helen, and the others who keep hanging in there. It takes a huge amount of strength, and a certain stubbornness.
Helen
It’s certainly tough out here in the east, eh!! We are in Avondale, and fortunately have less liquefaction than last time, but still spent the day digging yesterday. Our street (a quiet little cul de sac) could this morning best be described as a scene from a bad movie set on the Somme battlefield in 1916.. water, mud, pot holes.. Power is great.. running water would be ‘kinda cool too’…
But we are here, we woke up again this morning…. and the sun is still shining.. woohoo!!!!!
Look after yourself.
Kind regards
Robin
Robin, I don’t think we are quite so bad as you re the street but yes, we too have digging responsibilities. I hope you get that running water soon!
Its hard to imagine what it has to be like. We live on a major fault line that has been dormant for a long time, but they like to warn everyone every so often that it can happen. But the thought of it and the thought of what you all have to be going though is almost incomprehensible. Thank you for sharing your experiences and I hope that the big ones really are over.
Donna, which fault are you on? But wherever it is, I recommend that you triple whatever the minimum recommended stock of water and emergency supplies is. I also recommend ‘gumboots’ (wellingtons), masses of paper towels, tissues, clingfilm and plastic bags etc (all the stuff that’s environmentally bad but so useful when there’s no water or power), a good gas cooker, a chemical toilet and a fire extinguisher. Oh yes, analog phones and windup radio/torches are also fabulous.
Im in the US – Midwest – New Madrid fault. I read your posts and remember all the training we had to go though when they “predicted” it would go off when I was in high school. They say if and when it happens it will turn this city into an island. I can only imagine what you all are going though now. And its really not getting coverage here like other natural disasters do. Thanks for keeping us all updated so we can keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.
I would add hand sanitiser to the list – something I used to scorn before the earthquakes, but now that we can’t rely on the cleanliness of the water, (or on having it actually run out of the taps, clean or not), almost essential. And yes, the wind up torch is wonderful. I’m also paying more attention to computer backups than I used to.
Catherine, how could I forget the hand sanitizer? Definitely an essential for the list! Re the backups, I carry a pen drive on my keyring and my keys in my pocket at all times and even though the power went out immediately with both earthquakes on Monday, the laptop battery cut in and so the first thing I did, before anything else, was take a backup—then shut down. The next thing after that with the biggies has been to switch off power at the mains anyway and then the water at the street. And yes, I have been in the study working on the book for all three of the February 22nd and June 13 shakes. With Boxing Day I was having ‘a nice cup of tea’, most of which ended up in the saucer–fortunately it was a deep saucer! 😉
Donna, I think the reason for coverage is two fold. Firstly, there hasn’t been large scale death and injury this time around and most of the really major destruction happened in February–& let’s face it, the higher the destruction level the higher the news value. 🙁 Secondly, even though the situation is grim we are managing on our own. Sure we are very grateful for any help that is offered, because there’s definitely need, but basically the infrastructure is in place and it’s delivering despite the toughness of the situation–actually, I would say delivering amazingly and I really applaud everyone involved. I am not being a Pollyanna in saying this: I am sure there are many things happening that aren’t ideal but the situation is so far from ideal that the response is just going to be wrong sometimes. But overall, I think that it has been much closer to right, most of the time.
Definitely though, with your New Madrid fault, I would have your disaster kit ready (which I’m sure you do.) I checked out the fault on the internet and the prior 1811-12 period of activity does sound very similar to the kind of quake profile we’re having in Christchurch.
Reading your words makes it ‘real’ for me.
I hate you’re going through this.
I also made the mistake of watching ‘Under The Mountain’ last night. Now I’m trying not to think of the volcanoes here.
I hate it too, Jan, to be perfectly honest! 😉
But I think with volcanoes one often gets some warning at least, but I;d still have that emergency kit ready—see also my reply to Donna.
Firstly, to veryone, another huge thank you for your expressions of support. Sometimes just knowing people ‘get it’ and are thinking of us helps.
Claire, Mary, Vanda, Bookman: I think it’s the ‘no light at the end of the tunnel’ that’s the hardest part—and definitely not helped today by the report from the earthquake experts today to the effect that our Christchurch situation is i) not following their models at all; and ii) they predict a 30% chance of another 6.0 – 7.0 quake within the month. To say that I dread that happening would be an understatement of extreme proportions.
Wen: don’t admire me too much. We own our house and A. has a good job here that he likes & these are very much the ties that bind. I think if these two circumstances did not apply—especially with the threat of more big ones hanging over our heads—all bets would be off re staying. Because although something bad may equally well happen somewhere else you get to enjoy life in the interim!
That’s it in a nutshell, Helen. I think it’s the “enjoy life in the interim” part. We discussed exactly that, that something else could happen wherever we go, but the truth is, it’s happening here, now, and there are places where it’s not happening, yet. I would give almost anything to go back to sept 3rd and the way things were then, and who we were then. To have a bit of pre-September back in our lives seems worth it. Even if we don’t get it to stay that way forever.
We’re just lucky that my son is keen to stay in the house, that we have somewhere to go, and that Victor’s job will transfer him all the way to Australia with no ill-effects. That’s pretty fortunate. Even then, it’s STILL a horribly hard decision. So I fully understand the ties that keep others here too.
Wen, I am very sad that you will be leaving, but glad that you are able to do so—and I don’t think there would be a single person in Christchurch who would not completely understand your decision. Arohanui to you, the kids and especially Jaydn.
Hi Helen, sorry to hear about the latest quakes. I really hope it improves soon. Thinking of you.
Me, too, re the improving soon!:) Thank you for thinking of us in our quaky, breaky city!
I hope things become easier very, very soon 🙂
Thank you, Chelsea.
So sorry to hear that you are going through this again. Once again my mum and all friends & cousins in Chch are physically well, but also finding this unending trauma psychologically challenging.
I think it must be especially hard to be at the mercy of such unpredictability, and there is no-one to blame for it and no way to change events.
Be kind to yourselves and I hope it all gets better soon!
Heather, I think the “no-one to blame for it and no way to change events” is the difference between the war situation, which some experts identify as analogous, and these ongoing earthquakes. In a war situation there is an enemy that you can unite against and you can at least try and take action to defend yourself and fight back. There are some defensive precautions one can take here, such as strapping water cylinders, but there’s absolutely nothing once can do to fight back against an earthquake—or defend against liquefaction in a ‘prevention’ sense.
I am glad to hear that all your Chriscthurch family and friends are ok.
My prayers and thoughts are with you and all your family. I hope there will be no more major earthquakes.
Thank you, Giada.
none of this is being talked about around here (USA). 🙁 My thoughts are with you and your town. There just aren’t words.
Hey Sharon, You’ll see in my reply to Donna that I think the reason for the lack of media coverage is two fold, (no make that three—I mean, what could possibly go head to head, news wise, with a politican’s sexual peccadilloes?) The other reasons , I suspect, come down to 3rd time around, ie ‘old news’, coupled with not enough death and human injury (please read in the correct cynical tone as to what constitutes ‘news’), plus the fact that despite the high level of physical destruction we are dealing with it as a country and a community, basically because we have the infrastructure in place to do so.