NZ quake

[RoadRaven]

Well. We're ok.
I am just out of Napier, quite a bit south of Gisborne (about 4hours drive-time). We felt it big time here. We wondered if Mt Ruapehu (Lake Taupo, central North Island) was errupting. We have a weight machine (you know, like in a gym) on the deck and as i watched it rock back and forth I seriously wondered if it was going to tip off! The quake lasted about a minute here.

As for Gisborne... the quake was 6.8 on the Richter Scale and centred 50km off shore and only 40km deep - so almost right underneath the city!
... and a "state of emergency" has been declared in Gisborne

My daughter rang her bf whose family live in Gisborne and he had already been in touch with them and they had wondered if their house was going to fall down but they were ok.

In the news this morning (I am watching film now - hand held cameras and shop security footage) a couple of buildings have collapsed, many buildings are damaged - lost roofs, broken chimneys. Major damge to goods in shops with products strewn and broken on floors.

No deaths or serious injuries from it, although 15 people have been treated for minor cuts etc. All non-serious patients in hospital have been discharged as the hospital has sustained some damage as well.

Thank you for thinking of us DownUnder

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1320238/1517941
Brief story, but also video links on this page

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/423466/1517721

[MillieNZ]

Well. We're ok.
I am just out of Napier, quite a bit south of Gisborne (about 4hours drive-time). We felt it big time here. We wondered if Mt Ruapehu (Lake Taupo, central North Island) was errupting. We have a weight machine (you know, like in a gym) on the deck and as i watched it rock back and forth I seriously wondered if it was going to tip off! The quake lasted about a minute here.

As for Gisborne... the quake was 6.8 on the Richter Scale and centred 50km off shore and only 40km deep - so almost right underneath the city!
... and a "state of emergency" has been declared in Gisborne

My daughter rang her bf whose family live in Gisborne and he had already been in touch with them and they had wondered if their house was going to fall down but they were ok.

In the news this morning (I am watching film now - hand held cameras and shop security footage) a couple of buildings have collapsed, many buildings are damaged - lost roofs, broken chimneys. Major damge to goods in shops with products strewn and broken on floors.

No deaths or serious injuries from it, although 15 people have been treated for minor cuts etc. All non-serious patients in hospital have been discharged as the hospital has sustained some damage as well.

Thank you for thinking of us DownUnder

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1320238/1517941
Brief story, but also video links on this page

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/423466/1517721

Was just going to PM you and see how you were..... Glad to hear you are ok....

Nothing felt here in Auckland............ My Aunt who flew out from the UK on Wednesday had her first quake in Taupo They were fine, they also thought that the mountain had blown again ....

i work for a department store chain which has a store in the CBD in Gisborne and that has suffer extensive damage to walls and floor, but suprisingly not the roof ! a lot of the stock has been damaged/ Thankfully no one was seriously injured which is the main thing ....

We're off Boxing day to the region for a holiday so packing our emergency survival kit just in case

[RoadRaven]

Yeah... I was about to PM you to Millie, I remembered you were off to Gizzy... hopefully most of the clean up has happened by the time you get there - it seems they are in 'super-fast' mode because with primary schools finishing today, they are expecting an influx of tourists from tonight/tomorrow

At least you will be there after the initial clean-up has happened
The back-up sewrage systems are up and running and phones are in operation... so thats a good sign

Def take a few extra cans of food and maybe some bottled water just to leave tucked in the corner of your boot.

Enjoy that beach - I'm looking forward to getting up there again next year for the East Coast Champs (and this time I WILL compete)

[Trek420]

I hope everyone's ok. Aftershocks? 6.8 is quite a quake.

[mimitabby]

where's CC?

[crazycanuck]

I'm wayyyyyyy over on the other side of the tasman sea...

Ian's parents live in Rotorua but i'm not sure if they felt the quake or not. I'll find out tonight.

C

[RoadRaven]

I hope everyone's ok. Aftershocks? 6.8 is quite a quake.

Not here, but apparently they are still having little ones in Gisborne - its nearly 24hours since it happpened now...

[Brandi]

coming from calif I can understand earthquakes! We had a 6.8 three years ago here at the same time! So strange! One person died. And there was a lot of damage to buildings and what not. One town had a sulfer spring spring up in the middle of their town. It smelled like rotten eggs for months!
I had a friend who's whole roof moved off the house. They had to live in their garage for almost a whole year till it got fixed. They had a little guest room in the garage with a bathroom. They were lucky that way.
I am really glad no persons where hurt! Everything else can be replaced!

[RoadRaven]

Hi Folks
An ammendment to the minor injuries only report

I heard on the news last night that one woman died... not sure how she was injured/killed at this point, only that it was as a result of the earthquake.

There are also all those "miracle/near miss" stories... like the diners at the restaurant who were all eating inside because of rain - if they had been outside as would be usual in Gizzy at this time of year, one of the tables was completely taken out by a huge chunk of masonary... or the baby who had just been picked up a few minutes before the quake - after the quake their was a large piece of wood - shelving of some kind - that had fallen (flown) across the room from the opposite wall and landed in her cot...

[froglegs]

Not here, but apparently they are still having little ones in Gisborne - its nearly 24hours since it happpened now...

Aftershocks will likely happen for years, although less frequently after the initial days/weeks/months, and most of them will be small. I was in Northridge (CA) during the Northridge quake in 94 (about the same size) and there were plenty of aftershocks, a few in the 5+ range, which is enough to get your heart rate up and maybe knock something over, but not cause major damage. A 6.8 earthquake is extremely violent, scary, and dangerous, especially when you are right on top of it. I'm glad everyone there is OK.