The Christchurch Earthquakes
A story in pictures
A story in pictures
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake (also known as the Christchurch earthquake or Darfield earthquake) was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on 4 September 2010 local time (16:35 3 September UTC).
The quake caused widespread damage and several power outages, particularly in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand's second largest city. Two residents were seriously injured, one by a collapsing chimney and a second by flying glass. One person died of a heart attack suffered during the quake, although this could not be directly linked to the earthquake. Mass fatalities were avoided partly due to there being few houses of unreinforced construction, although this was also aided by the quake occurring during the night when most people were off the street.
The earthquake's epicentre was 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Christchurch, near the town of Darfield.
Source: Wikipedia
The quake caused widespread damage and several power outages, particularly in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand's second largest city. Two residents were seriously injured, one by a collapsing chimney and a second by flying glass. One person died of a heart attack suffered during the quake, although this could not be directly linked to the earthquake. Mass fatalities were avoided partly due to there being few houses of unreinforced construction, although this was also aided by the quake occurring during the night when most people were off the street.
The earthquake's epicentre was 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Christchurch, near the town of Darfield.
Source: Wikipedia
October 2010:
One of the first signs of real damage I saw on this visit to Christchurch. I had planned a trip from Invercargill to Christchurch prior to the quake and had booked and paid for accomodation.
One of the first signs of real damage I saw on this visit to Christchurch. I had planned a trip from Invercargill to Christchurch prior to the quake and had booked and paid for accomodation.
The trip was to visit as many junk shops and antique stores between the two cities. Christchurch was to be the biggest area with numerous stores i had palnned to see.
This is what greeted me at the first store on the first day.
This is what greeted me at the first store on the first day.
Another closed store.
Lets not kid ourselves this was a very powerful earthquake and had caused quite alot of damage, yet Christchurch as a city was still continuing on the city was still vibrant and bustling.
The iconic cathedral still stood remarkably undamaged
People were still punting on the cities Avon River.
But you didn't need to go too far to be reminded of the event that took place on September 4
But the people of Christchurch were all busy getting on with their lives. Most if not all the inner city stores were open and trading.
Engineers hard at work installing new track for the tramcar.
History was to prove that it was never to be used.
History was to prove that it was never to be used.
The local port at Lyttleton was still a busy bustling place.
Reports of the quake's intensity in Christchurch generally ranged from IV to VIII (moderate to destructive) on the modified Mercalli scale. A strong smell of sulphur was widely reported in Christchurch following the earthquake. Sewers were damaged, and water lines were broken. The water supply at Rolleston, located to the southwest of Christchurch, was contaminated. Power to up to 75 percent of the city was disrupted. Christchurch Hospital was forced to use emergency generators in the immediate aftermath of the quake. About 90% of the electricity in Christchurch had been restored by 6:00pm the day of the earthquake. The repair of electricity was estimated to be more difficult in the rural areas. One building caught fire after its electricity was turned back on, igniting leaking LPG in the building. The fire was quickly extinguished by the Fire Service before it could spread. Damage to buried pipes may have allowed sewage to contaminate the residential water supply. Residents were warned to boil tap water before using it for brushing teeth, drinking, and washing or cooking food. Several cases of gastroenteritis were reported. By 7 September, 28 cases had been observed at the city's welfare centres. The boil water notice for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula was lifted late on 8 September 2010, after more than 500 tests conducted over three days found no contamination.
Christchurch International Airport was closed for a few hours following the quake.
Christchurch International Airport was closed following the earthquake and flights in and out of it cancelled. It reopened at 1:30 pm, following inspection of the terminals and main runway. All schools and early childhood centres in Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri Districts were ordered shut until Monday 13 September for health and safety assessments. The city's two universities, the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University, and the Christchurch campus of the University of Otago were also closed until 13 September awaiting health and safety assessments.
Crime in Christchurch decreased eleven percent compared with the previous year following the earthquake, although there were initial reports of looting in the city centre and "known criminals" trying to pass off as council workers to get into the central city cordon area. Police also observed a fifty-three percent jump in the rates of domestic violence following the earthquake. Many more heart attacks than usual were reported in the days following the quake. Usually the heart unit at Christchurch Hospital handles two to three heart attacks a day, but the rate had risen to eight to ten a day since the earthquake. A record number of babies for a Saturday were born at Christchurch Women's Hospital in the twenty-four hours after the quake, with the first baby arriving six minutes after the initial shock. This was at least in part due to outlying birthing centres being closed, pending structural checks, forcing more mothers to deliver at hospitals than was generally the case.
Source :Wikipedia
Christchurch International Airport was closed for a few hours following the quake.
Christchurch International Airport was closed following the earthquake and flights in and out of it cancelled. It reopened at 1:30 pm, following inspection of the terminals and main runway. All schools and early childhood centres in Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri Districts were ordered shut until Monday 13 September for health and safety assessments. The city's two universities, the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University, and the Christchurch campus of the University of Otago were also closed until 13 September awaiting health and safety assessments.
Crime in Christchurch decreased eleven percent compared with the previous year following the earthquake, although there were initial reports of looting in the city centre and "known criminals" trying to pass off as council workers to get into the central city cordon area. Police also observed a fifty-three percent jump in the rates of domestic violence following the earthquake. Many more heart attacks than usual were reported in the days following the quake. Usually the heart unit at Christchurch Hospital handles two to three heart attacks a day, but the rate had risen to eight to ten a day since the earthquake. A record number of babies for a Saturday were born at Christchurch Women's Hospital in the twenty-four hours after the quake, with the first baby arriving six minutes after the initial shock. This was at least in part due to outlying birthing centres being closed, pending structural checks, forcing more mothers to deliver at hospitals than was generally the case.
Source :Wikipedia
One building caught fire after its electricity was turned back on, igniting leaking LPG in the building. The fire was quickly extinguished by the Fire Service before it could spread.
February 22 2011
Christchurch's Darkest Day
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a powerful natural event that severely damaged New Zealand's second-largest city, killing 185 people in one of the nation's deadliest peacetime disasters.
The magnitude 6.3 (M L) earthquake struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at 12:51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 local time (23:51 21 February UTC). The earthquake was centred 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous city. It followed nearly six months after the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of 4 September 2010, which caused significant damage to Christchurch and the central Canterbury region, but no direct fatalities.
The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in the central city and eastern suburbs, with damage exacerbated by buildings and infrastructure already being weakened by the 4 September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was reported to be felt across the South Island and the lower and central North Island.
In total, 185 people were killed in the earthquake, making it the second-deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand (after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake), and fourth-deadliest disaster of any kind recorded in New Zealand, with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims. Over half of the deaths occurred in the six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) Building, which collapsed and caught fire in the quake. The government declared a state of national emergency, which stayed in force until 30 April 2011.
Source :Wikipedia
The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in the central city and eastern suburbs, with damage exacerbated by buildings and infrastructure already being weakened by the 4 September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was reported to be felt across the South Island and the lower and central North Island.
In total, 185 people were killed in the earthquake, making it the second-deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand (after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake), and fourth-deadliest disaster of any kind recorded in New Zealand, with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims. Over half of the deaths occurred in the six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) Building, which collapsed and caught fire in the quake. The government declared a state of national emergency, which stayed in force until 30 April 2011.
Source :Wikipedia
Upon return to Christchurch one year after the February quake and I was faced with a totally different City.
The entire CBD was cordoned off and was in a state of ruin
Everywhere you looked were people in hard hats and high vis vests
Of the 3,000 buildings inspected within the Four Avenues of the central city by 3 March, 45% had been given red or yellow stickers to restrict access because of the safety problems. Many heritage buildings were given red stickers after inspections. One thousand of the 4000 buildings within the Four Avenues were expected to be demolished.
source:wikipedia
The entire CBD was cordoned off and was in a state of ruin
Everywhere you looked were people in hard hats and high vis vests
Of the 3,000 buildings inspected within the Four Avenues of the central city by 3 March, 45% had been given red or yellow stickers to restrict access because of the safety problems. Many heritage buildings were given red stickers after inspections. One thousand of the 4000 buildings within the Four Avenues were expected to be demolished.
source:wikipedia
This was all that was left of the swimming pool at the hotel I stayed at
It seemed everywhere you went now there was some demolishing going on, the amount of earthmovders and trucks was incredible, and fences as far as you could see, the city that i visited after Septembers event was gone, or was slowly being demolished.
Christchurch was a city being systematically taken to pieces
this sign was still hanging in the window well over a year after it was put up. with no access to the building it was unlikely to be taken down.
The Hotel Grand Chancellor
On 23 February, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Christchurch's tallest hotel, was reported to be on the verge of collapse. The 26-storey building was displaced by half a metre in the quake and had dropped by 1 metre on one side; parts of the emergency stairwells collapsed. The building was thought to be irreparably damaged and have the potential to bring down other buildings if it falls; an area of a two-block radius around the hotel was thus evacuated. The building was eventually stabilised and, on 4 March it was decided the building would be demolished over the following six months, so that further work could be done with the buildings nearby.
On 23 February, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Christchurch's tallest hotel, was reported to be on the verge of collapse. The 26-storey building was displaced by half a metre in the quake and had dropped by 1 metre on one side; parts of the emergency stairwells collapsed. The building was thought to be irreparably damaged and have the potential to bring down other buildings if it falls; an area of a two-block radius around the hotel was thus evacuated. The building was eventually stabilised and, on 4 March it was decided the building would be demolished over the following six months, so that further work could be done with the buildings nearby.
CTV Building
The six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed leaving only its lift shaft standing, which caught fire. The building housed the TV station, a medical clinic and an English language school. The school—King's Education—catered to students from Japan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Korea. On 23 February police decided that the damage was not survivable, and rescue efforts at the building were suspended. Initially more than 100 people were believed have died in the building, the total reached 115. Fire-fighting and recovery operations resumed that night, later joined by a Japanese search and rescue squad. Thirteen Japanese students from the Toyama College of Foreign Languages are missing, with some feared trapped in the rubble. Of the 166 confirmed dead by 12 March 2011, 94 were recovered from the CTV building.
Source :Wikipedia
The six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed leaving only its lift shaft standing, which caught fire. The building housed the TV station, a medical clinic and an English language school. The school—King's Education—catered to students from Japan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Korea. On 23 February police decided that the damage was not survivable, and rescue efforts at the building were suspended. Initially more than 100 people were believed have died in the building, the total reached 115. Fire-fighting and recovery operations resumed that night, later joined by a Japanese search and rescue squad. Thirteen Japanese students from the Toyama College of Foreign Languages are missing, with some feared trapped in the rubble. Of the 166 confirmed dead by 12 March 2011, 94 were recovered from the CTV building.
Source :Wikipedia
This plus the following two images show the site where the CTV building stood.
Hearts for Christchurch
Two heart shapes sewn together, stuffed or not, embellished, embroidered, CQ'd,quilted, plain or fancy, anything goes. Add a loop for hanging. Choose your size. For ease of posting, envelope size is a good measurment. You can send them flat just add a note 'To be stuffed'. Sign (or not), add a message and where the hearts are from. This is a small measure of something nice to give in this terrible time.
Two heart shapes sewn together, stuffed or not, embellished, embroidered, CQ'd,quilted, plain or fancy, anything goes. Add a loop for hanging. Choose your size. For ease of posting, envelope size is a good measurment. You can send them flat just add a note 'To be stuffed'. Sign (or not), add a message and where the hearts are from. This is a small measure of something nice to give in this terrible time.
A great deal of the CDB is now either being demolished or has been done so already
This list shows the extent of the demolition
This list shows the extent of the demolition
