Christchurch earthquakes

[shrub]

Dry Martini shaken, stirred, & given a severe barrelling

Tis a rude awakening to be thrown from your bed then try to stand only to be laid on your arse again

I got a crack on the swede & a small cut on the wrist while Pen got a series of knarly bruses all down her right side from being thrown around

Plenty of fractures around the house & substantial loss of items

amazing things though, my bike whilst on it's sidestand in the garage stayed upright whilst Pen's got thrown on it's side along with my mates bike too (it's the only one to get any major damage).

my landcruiser got punched into the garage door rooting it in the process.

Apparently we where only a matter of 3kms from the epi-centre and a road close by has been shifted across one lane & in another spot there's a crater.
Only got the power back a few hours ago

Good to see you back on deck. We got away with a few hundred CDs strewn across the lounge floor and a goldfish thrown out of the pond (it was still alive after several hours out of water, that was one lucky goldfish).

[Mom]

Only got the power back a few hours ago

Thank goodness you are ok.

[T.W.R]

Good to see you back on deck. We got away with a few hundred CDs strewn across the lounge floor and a goldfish thrown out of the pond (it was still alive after several hours out of water, that was one lucky goldfish).

heard the goldfish almost got tossed as it was stranded on dry land not moving

The kitchen was like a brewers mixture of every liquid & powder that the pantry contained there wasn't clear piece of floor anywhere down stairs.

the noise before the shakes was the weirdest thing....just totally un-natural

This link shows how close we were

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4096...uake-locations

[Urano]

Oh shit!
Guys, i really hope you're all ok.
i've read only now about the shake, the photos are impressive, i couldn't find on news sites any info about casualties but the line saying that hospital emergencies have returned to normal operations yesterday evening let me hope for the best...
This is another aspect i like about your way of facing things: here news would have filled pages and pages giving any detail about broken bones, scars, cries and any dramatic situation you can always expect in those cases.
you have evidently much more respect for the people and a maturer approach to difficulties.

i've been in our civil defence for years, and a 7.5 r is really a big one: anyway you seem much organized. probably you are used to.
Try not to use unbottled water, do not use gas stuff, keep warm and keep safe.

Wish you all the best. Take care.

[scumdog]

Hit Central Otago about 4 hours ago, so should be getting to Christchurch any time now.

'Tis a tad draughty around Chez Scumdog right now...

[shrub]

the noise before the shakes was the weirdest thing....just totally un-natural

Jeebers, that's pretty well ground zero.

I don't remember anything before the shaking - that's what woke me, but I remember it sounding like a train running through the back yard and struggling to stand up.

[Iggy]

Unwise ? I was just pointing out a fact to someone else. Timely though for people to think about their earthquake kits because this one wasn't the big one that has been expected for many years.

Really?........Well it was big enough for us so you better get your emergency kit sorted.

[cowboyz]

So it's not a good idea to support them?

And I worked in insurance management many years ago, and it's rare for a business to be better off in an event like this because there are a lot of intangibles involved.

Duh../.. well obviously you have spent time in the insurance business the way you pick and choose information....

Anyhow.. the point is.... Chch will flourish now. any single able bodied unemployed peeps should be on a fast track to chch in the next few days signing up for all sorts of labouring jobs. There is buckets to be made and buckets to be spent.

[Woodman]

Co incidence or not, but I was in the supermarket today in Nelson and the bottled water shelf was damn near cleaned out..
Folks finally getting their emergency kits ???

[FJRider]

Co incidence or not, but I was in the supermarket today in Nelson and the bottled water shelf was damn near cleaned out..
Folks finally getting their emergency kits ???

Usual sunday night in most supermarkets ...

[avgas]

Not urgent or anything, but if you work with him or anything,
Talked to old man (Pete) about 6am, Sat. He was in good spirits - and seemed to think it was not too bad. I told him that I had seen photos of buildings stuffed. He said that just the doors were ajar where he was staying.

Anywho if you work with him or see him (he is working down there somewhere) - say hello from Stew, and happy fathers day.

Don't want to clutter the cell towers for non-urgent stuff. He's ok so I am safe with that.
But if he's smashed that lovely Daytona of his.........

Cheers
Stew

[dangerous]

Well AdamB takes out the bigest damaged I looked at today, house (only 3yrs old)

Oh and HelenOfTroys Duc takes out the worst damaged bike, fairings got holes punched in it from under the pan to the screen being wiped out... and she says SWAN ins DO NOT cover EQ damage, wankers, oh her fancy Iti car has seen beter days.

Over night theres been about 10 quakes averaging from 3.5 to 4.8
How the hell theres been no injurys Im buggered if i know, CBD looks the worse all old buildings a acco waiting to happen, bloody poms and their 3 layererd brick construction.
Kaiopi not that I have been out there is in the worst state, town at least is a case of push the broom around... Kaipoi, a health issue and will require most help.

[SS90]

Duh../.. well obviously you have spent time in the insurance business the way you pick and choose information....

Anyhow.. the point is.... Chch will flourish now. any single able bodied unemployed peeps should be on a fast track to chch in the next few days signing up for all sorts of labouring jobs. There is buckets to be made and buckets to be spent.

Firstly, I am Chch boy, and while I am on the other side of the world, most of my friends, and sone of my family live there, so I have sympathy.

But I am not sure I agree, certainly some aspects of the community will gain ( laborers , drain layers, plumbers etc, which is great, as they saw it rough after the boom finished)- but the retailers will lose so much trading, their insurance premiums will rocket (as will everyones), and even though they will get a lot of business as peoples insurance claims come in, this will be a really bad financial year for them all ( and I bet lots of people will buy stuff of the net to pocket some change from the insurance companies)

The bottom line is the local economy overall will suffer dramatically, from the retailers to the bars and restaurants.

Some will, have insurance policies to cover loss of trading- but that will never cover the real cost..........

[shrub]

Firstly, I am Chch boy, and while I am on the other side of the world, most of my friends, and sone of my family live there, so I have sympathy.

But I am not sure I agree, certainly some aspects of the community will gain ( laborers , drain layers, plumbers etc, which is great, as they saw it rough after the boom finished)- but the retailers will lose so much trading, their insurance premiums will rocket (as will everyones), and even though they will get a lot of business as peoples insurance claims come in, this will be a really bad financial year for them all ( and I bet lots of people will buy stuff of the net to pocket some change from the insurance companies)

The bottom line is the local economy overall will suffer dramatically, from the retailers to the bars and restaurants.

Some will, have insurance policies to cover loss of trading- but that will never cover the real cost..........

That's pretty much the situation. Most small businesses, especially ones that are struggling like the majority of bike shops, won't have full cover, let alone loss of profits cover. Over the next few months some businesses will boom, but I don't think the bike shops will be among them. There will be a few claims to cover repairs etc, but I suspect most bike damage will be pretty minor and confined to levers, mirrors and plastic. And in the meantime they're not open or earning, but their fixed overheads haven't stopped.

[shrub]

Duh../.. well obviously you have spent time in the insurance business the way you pick and choose information....

Anyhow.. the point is.... Chch will flourish now. any single able bodied unemployed peeps should be on a fast track to chch in the next few days signing up for all sorts of labouring jobs. There is buckets to be made and buckets to be spent.

No, it's more a case of me having a more informed understanding of the situation. I have just spoken to a couple of people I know, including the president of the employers and manufacturers association and a senior partner in a local accounting firm and both agree that a lot of the smaller businesses that are currently operating hand to mouth will go under.

Labourers, builders, roofers and bricklayers will all do really well, and I have a mate who is a builder and has had to take his phone off the hook because he is booked till Xmas, but my guess is that the demand for bikes and bike equipment won't go through the roof the same way. If anything it will drop off because a lot of people will have other things on their mind ahead of toys.