Bastard earthquake!

[HenryDorsetCase]

make sure you have some water. fill your pots if you have nothing else. keep your torches handy. Dress warm and wear shoes you can walk ten k in. Have your shit ready to go. No, not joking.

[mossy1200]

I have a working coal range as long as the chimney stays up.
Water storage could be improved im thinking. Might get a few big containers sorted.

[Naki Rat]

Just getting the chook/duck feed ready after 5:00 and noticed the small garden tools swinging in the potting shed, then the large tools, then the Commodore was rocking on its suspension next door in the garage and the hedge outside was waving back and forward. Buggar that'll be an earthquake I thought, and it was.

On a serious note, good advice (from a CHCH survivor) I saw on another forum:

*For the next wee while, when you're in bed have a torch and shoes next to the bed. If a large quake happens at night you want to be able to see and walk around. There may be broken stuff on the ground.

*Don't fill your bath to save some drinking water, it'll slowly leak out the plug. Fill containers and sit them in the bath

*Chuck some coke bottles filed with water in your freezer. If power goes off they will help keep it cold in there. You can move a couple to your fridge too. Once thawed you have drinking water.

*If there is a big quake, don't expect to be able to get to a doorway or anything if it's more than a step away. Even crawling is very very hard with lots of shaking.

*Muesli bars are the bomb when you need easy fast food and have no power as is Up and Go (keep an eye on dates!)

*Make sure you're insured.

*Don't sleep nuddy.

*Make sure you've got a couple tarps to cover broken windows, tape over big ones so if they crack they won't fall apart.

*To expand on this point, you are MUCH better to ensure all heavy/high stuff is secure rather than trying to get to a safe place (and expect everyone else to do the same). Very few homes collapsed in Chch, and most people hurt in homes were hurt by falling 'stuff' not collapsing homes. Check bookshelves, TVs, large dressers (a large solid, fully packed, rimu scotch chest flew into the air and landed face down in my girls bedroom), ornaments or other heavy stuff up high or on the wall, concrete header tanks etc.

*Keep your car at least 1/2 full of petrol, and if you have camping gear, make sure it's always in good condition for cooking (gas bottles refilled etc.).

*Supermarkets run out of bread, water, milk, flour and sugar so keep a good supply of those

*Keep in contact with partners/children making sure you know where they are most of the time.

*The whole duck cover hold is much better than trying to get to a doorway cause I got hurt by trying to walk as many people do.

*Do a wee check in the bedrooms at what is above beds cause when that stuff falls its very scary. Kids rooms are likely to have more things to fall.

*Put a bottle of water in your toilet systen to save waters in flushing

*You will get better contact through fb than txt so make sure you have important people in your friends list and you update your self on there.

*Dont put torches on shelves.....they smash! Doh

*And also if you have no power the best thing is outdoor solar lights.... you just bring them in at night and dot round the house. Easier than carrying a torch.

*Don't put pressure on yourself. Everyone reacts differently but it doesn't mean they are feeling any better/worse/differently. And the hyper-vigilance is exhausting!

*Shops re-open as soon as they can so you can probably get supplies pretty quickly.

*Keep some cash though because eftpos won't work without power.

*Leave your shoes by your bed upside down... stuff falls into them.

*Charge your phone now

*Check where candles, matches and spare batteries are now.

*Don't leave your containers of emergency water on the bench.

*Tidy your kids' bedroom floor.

*Put important doccuments together in a ziplock bag - ie birth certs, passports, insurance, phone numbers etc. You'll need these if you need emergency food grants from WINZ, helps with insurance claims etc.

*If you need to get supplies, get fewer essentials and take the express checkout. Can save lots of time queing.

*We hung a small torch on the back of each door so regardless of what room you were in there was a quick source if light.

*Take the level of water down from the top of the fish tank.

*If you drink milk it's worth stocking up a dozen 1L UHT cartons because when things are not normal*, but not terrible, it's nice to stick with your daily routines like cereal or milk in your coffee, or milk drink before bed for the kidlets, and UHT allows you to do that for several days without worrying about the shops.

[jellywrestler]

And you left it there, dribbling it's vital fluids all over the axminster while you took pichers!

Call yourself a biker?!!

that's his stockings

[98tls]

Yes how people react in a situation they have never experienced before will be unique. Laugh all you want. You have no idea of how you will react until you are there.

Indeed i will.Stupid is what stupid does.Even my old mum who lives in Christchurch said to me on the phone earlier tonight "where did that women think she was going to run to".After all the horrors of Christchurch i found it well strange to see someone react like that.

[T.W.R]

As having been at pretty much ground zero on Sept 4th 2010 Sympathy's go out for those having to go through the shitting things, they aren't pleasant and the swarms of wee buggers afterwards will keep you on your toes for a while.
You can't do F/A but just hang on for the ride

[Maha]

.Had a chuckle when watching the footage on the news,one chick dives under the table the other runs about like a mad hen then heads out the door,overweight or not she was never going to outrun the quake.

Getting outside and away from the building (or stairwell) you're in, would be my priority, no work station will protect you from the floor/s above if they were to collapse (aka the CTV effect)

[BoristheBiter]

.Had a chuckle when watching the footage on the news,one chick dives under the table the other runs about like a mad hen then heads out the door,overweight or not she was never going to outrun the quake.

She thought the line was "drop the sausage roll" so she tried but all she had was a pie.

[BigAl]

Prolly the most action that bikes going to get

Yeah real serious earthquake, streaming news banner on telly last night claiming "1 person injured"....... pfffft

[imdying]

Consider it fair warning.

[oneofsix]

Indeed i will.Stupid is what stupid does.Even my old mum who lives in Christchurch said to me on the phone earlier tonight "where did that women think she was going to run to".After all the horrors of Christchurch i found it well strange to see someone react like that.

The only person to get out of CTV building was the one that ran outside, running worked for her.
That said I am still with duck, cover and hold the fuck on.

A bit hard to duck and cover in this quake as I was in the shower during this one, all that glass, no cover (totally), and slippery floor, all I could do was wedge myself in the corner of the solid walls. Still glad I resisted the Mrs idea of going into Welly for our anniversary dinner.

[Kickaha]

Getting outside and away from the building (or stairwell) you're in, would be my priority

Depends entirely on what building you're in

[mashman]

The only person to get out of CTV building was the one that ran outside, running worked for her.
That said I am still with duck, cover and hold the fuck on.

A bit hard to duck and cover in this quake as I was in the shower during this one, all that glass, no cover (totally), and slippery floor, all I could do was wedge myself in the corner of the solid walls. Still glad I resisted the Mrs idea of going into Welly for our anniversary dinner.

I'm a GTFO person. Got half way across the room on Friday much to the amusement of my colleagues. I give a shit not, I'd rather not be stuck under the building... especially one that's surrounded by taller buildings.

Didn't put you off your stroke I hope.

[oneofsix]

I'm a GTFO person. Got half way across the room on Friday much to the amusement of my colleagues. I give a shit not, I'd rather not be stuck under the building... especially one that's surrounded by taller buildings.

Didn't put you off your stroke I hope.

Yeah if in work, especially the stair well, I would try to get out if it was reasonable, like ground floor. Getting out of the stair well would certainly be a priority before ducking and covering.

Stroke? Anniversaries are good for not requiring such methods.

Bikes stayed up right and then got several texts and an e-mail from work telling me to stay home today. I guess some good comes for some people. Pity the weather isn't up to a nice ride.

[mashman]

Yeah if in work, especially the stair well, I would try to get out if it was reasonable, like ground floor. Getting out of the stair well would certainly be a priority before ducking and covering.

Stroke? Anniversaries are good for not requiring such methods.

Bikes stayed up right and then got several texts and an e-mail from work telling me to stay home today. I guess some good comes for some people. Pity the weather isn't up to a nice ride.

Aye... we're 1st floor so reckon it'd be worth a bolt.

Sorry... it didn't put her off of her stroke .

Logged in this morning to be told not to go in today as the building needs to be inspected. Still got a phone conference today though... bloody technology, heh.