Christchurch Earthquakes

[Grampa & Gramma]

For those of you watching the Christchurch earthquakes this recent map will be of interest, The Port Hills are three old volcanoes, oldest to youngest, east to west, each about 16 million years apart. The last volcanic episode was 16 million years ago!
I also have copied for you an email report from our friend in Christchurch, Bea Stokes.
Pretty tough going there!
Keep them in your prayers.
It is not over yet.

----- Original Message -----
From: Bea Stokes
To
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 4:54 PM
Subject: Earthquake Update


Hi Thanks to so many who have emailed lately to see how we were. After some 8000 aftershocks we are coping and some normality is returning to the city. Just when we think they must be over or at least the big ones- we are hit by another 5.3 - the magnitude which did so much damage in Spain. If you have never experienced a quake I can assure you you don't want to.) It is most unnerving and if it happens at night there is usually no more sleep.
I have learned so much I never wanted to know about quakes Ours was more destructive than Japan's as theirs was out to sea and deeper and ours was centred under the city at a shallow depth. I have read that 2/22 was the worst quake in the history of the world in terms of power! Something to do with ground acceleration.
The state of emergency was lifted two weeks ago but the centre of the city is still in the red zone. I went to pick up our neice after her chemo treatment at the hospital and was blocked at every corner Eventually Had to travel to the eastern road of the 4 Avenues which encirle our CBD and then travel west to the western side .Horrific damage- broken planks of wood, stones, bricks and liquefaction (silt) lined both sides of the streets I crossed.
30,000 people are homeless and 45,000 homes have no sewage as 300 kms of pipes are smashed. There are portaloos in so many parts of towns. Some homes have been given chemical toilets . Apparently this has given rise to a new spirit of neighborliness- meeting at the waste dumping stations taking the place of the meetings at the village well in Biblical times.
the major roads have been repaired and are so jammed with traffic. Minor roads are like slalom courses as you dodge the pot holes and bumps and sunken tarmac.
We are lucky to live in the west but still have over $200,000 damage. Have had such a series of trades people- garage doors needed unjamming, another door burst its locks, gas fire tester, electrician, insurance assessor, EQC assessors, pool repairman( our pool emptied mostly into our family room) as well as the usual cleaners, window cleaners, and tree people. The bills are mounting! but Brian still working- from home which is ok except he uses all my computer ink and is on the phone a lot. His office luckily has new premises but smaller and tho he has a desk he has no chair (gave it up for a pregnant staff member) or phone( they go through computers and he doesn;t know how!!).
The worst thing for us is that EQC have said we will have to move out and take all our stuff with us! I am not a minimalist and don't want to jettison anything . At this stage our repairs are some way off- might be years before our number comes up. Right now there is no storage available in Chch as so many homes have to be demolished and many more are unliveable until repaired.
The new me has given up anxiety - yes, really! so am not going to worry about that though I still cry when I see pictures of the devastaion on TV.. And jump when a truck goes past and scream with the aftershocks. That scatalogical word has been overused.
Brian's Charity Hospital stopped doing charity operations and provided instead a 24 hour 7 day a week clinic for psychological counselling . It has seen over 1000 patients - some too uptight to go inside so the sessions were held in the garden. Another service has seen 3000 people. The damage is real. My little 4 yr old grandson slept last week for the first time in his own bed all night, every night. And he wouldn't go to the loo unless an adult went with him! Didn't stop him from scoring 12 goals at soccer and being named player of the day!! Sorry this is so long but most of us don't experience natural disasters of this order in our life times. Even my family in Auckland find it difficult to comprehend how terrifying it has all been.
But the people of Chch have been magnificent and the rest of the country is operating as normal. And the sun still shines.

[Michael]