What it is like living in the Quake zone!

Kia Ora,

First thanks to Neil Smith for his link to a tourists video of the quake hitting. Unfortunately with our internet haven't been able to view it all. The part I did see at start it appears the camera person is standing in the entrance into the Cathedral when it hit. Its the view we had virtually once we got the people out & dust had settled some. It then appears they may of been struck by masonary, many were & before we started keeping people away from the Cathedral had a quick look at the injuries lined up by police Kiosk. Everyone had a head injury including a baby. A St Johns team were soon on the scene.

After an ex army mate wound me up(yeah you got me but I will get you back) about doing anti looting patrols was not really helping I thought I would give a more detailed account of what it is like actually living here.

To do that I need to go back to September the 4th 2010.

First it is the immense sense of power when the big one hits. Like many New Zealanders(except ironically many in Christchurch) I have had to live with earthquakes for at least part of my life. But nothing like the power in the destructive ones. Quakes that would of had me heading for a safe place in the past you now just look, listen & nah its a tiddler. But you know when it is powerful now. Might be unfit & bit overweight these days but boy I can still run fast when the mood takes me. Boy did it take me on Tuesday.

But there were a few problems which I have alluded to in previous posts. Structural engineers were letting it be known privately that the whole truth was not been told & to ensure as best you can to get all properties checked thoroughly. Two & the Mayor were even in the "Press" saying the building code is only there to save lives. Which to me means everything must be either replaced(as I type this they are saying at least a third of the CBD must be demolished) or an extremely good check take place as now they have had their one big quake there is no guarantee they will survive another of similar or greater power.

So it has proved.

Then there has been Ken Rings quite accurate predictions of possibility of shakes on or around certain dates & the upcoming possible large one on or around the 20th March 2011. The experts keep contradicting themselves & each other, so lends him much more creditability even though he says it is not a precise process.

So a lot of people were & are edgy but now it has changed.

Unless you have experienced the power of these earthquakes it is hard to describe. Unlike other types of disasters(apart from suicide bombers) they just keep coming making everything associated with it more dangerous & for many nerve racking.

Last nights anti looting patrol was probably a good example of what we are looking at.

Quite a lot of what appear to be groups of teens still roaming or on pushbikes without lights up & down streets. Quite a few vehicles acting suspiciously. We saw two persons come out of house that is badly damaged who took a keen interest in what we were doing. So we stopped to offer them water & rice(given to us by Hornby Takeaways to hand out in the damaged areas) to find our driver knew one of them.

Their story is becoming the norm. A lot of suspicious people hanging around, looting taking place right in front of people. The person Bernie knew it was his house they came out off. The three neighbouring houses the people had left town. Person with him was his brother in law who lived about 7 houses down the road so they were doing their own little anti looting patrols in the street.

Then we moved on. In areas where there was power you noticed how many at 8.30-9.00pm were without lights & how empty & quiet it was. Where there was no power you noticed those with their own generators or candles. It is so noticeable as to what properties where empty.

At one part we helped a home owner get a house bus into his drive. House was munted but he was worried about looters & there appeared to be no neighbours in the street.

Now police have said they will swamp badly hit areas & we know they are trying but it took us ages to actually see a police patrol. When we did they were so appreciative of what we were doing with more eyes & ears on the ground. We asked what a certain area was like. Their response "mate been trying to get there all night but everytime we start to head that way we get called away".

We were starting to find more areas closed off & more cordons up with New Zealand & Australian Police combined with New Zealand & Singaporean soldiers on a cordon.

But still it is hard for the police to be everywhere & they don't have enough 4WD's to get into some areas. It is entirely possible that martial law could be imposed if people keep leaving to effect control over the city. Even in the not so badly hit areas like where I live people are just up & leaving. In just the last few days school roles outside Christchurch are jumping due to people just moving to be with relations or to their holiday home, bach or crib to live. Return time to be confirmed.

For many probably never.

I know many will not go back into multi story buildings because of the failure of the like of emergency exit stairs & been stuck up there for up to five hours awaiting rescue.

It is very quiet today & as the Mayor just said "its a weekend but its not" until he said that I didn't even realize it was Saturday. Days mean nothing right now.

It is the way some people are leaving though that show that many are in panic or terror as shocks continue. Just walking down the road when a vehicle obviously packed to leave town went down the road overtook a truck dangerously continued on the wrong side of the road & round a blind corner. Have seen that so many times of late where people are in such a hurry to get out that they are taking extreme risks on the road not thinking that they might kill themselves in the rush. The on going shocks are just spooking people so much. Soon it will be only those who are working trying to help or the Scum left at this rate.

Walking back see what is obviously someones business trailer just packed with all their worldly possessions heading south. Another common sight.

One good thing about it all is the people trying to help in which ever way they can. We stopped to talk to a check point on a cordon. In about five minutes they had four vehicles stop to offer them food or drinks, then a local group walked up with soup. Police officer said "going to get fat at this rate".

But with so many on edge it will only take another good shake to clear many more from the city. As someone said the media are underplaying it. Well they are not but it is really hard to convey not just the damage but the feeling of nerves waiting for the next 'big' shake. The only place I have ever been that has had a feeling like it is Baghdad & I think that is heightened by the fact New Zealanders were just not prepared for something like this.

One neighbour said they were about to leave here when it hit & said to the other neighbour "that was a good shake" then went off to work. It was near her work she said it was her 9/11 moment with 12 vehicles on the road but hundreds of peole walking. The other neighbour said "yeah real good shake but thought nothing of it went off to work to find the whole road grid locked. Thought what is going on here?"

So even within the city itself because of how the power was channelled not everyone was aware of how bad it was.

But as a police officer said last night it is probably the demise of the Cathedral that has hit hardest. As I said on the cordon on the day it hit a guy came up & when he saw it just burst into tears & couldn't stop. The heart of the city has gone.

I did find last night my vehicle is probably alright as that building appears to be undamaged. But the cordon is going to be in place for months it would appear & so now having to look at other options.

Now some of my mates have not liked my postings in the past regard to been able to increase my cash flow, business & generally have cash on hand to get things done.

Right now I think proves my point. Yes lives are important but that is actually why I have looked at what I have done for business. Both my security concept & sustainable communities designed with the effects of a large earthquake &/or a Tsaunami in mind to also provide redundant systems so that no part is ever completely shut down. Also to provide jobs therefore cash flow to allow people to feed their families which with an estimated 40,000 in the CBD alone with no work is going to be a priority.

Been out & about you feel you are contributing, but with one vehicle you can only do so much. It is really frustrating that had you been able to get things going as you wanted it would right now be making a real difference to peoples lives.

Money, as people say, might not be everything but it sure as hell helps you make a real difference when you have it & are able to use it in a way that allows that difference to be sustainable.

There have been moments of laughter though.

For those that are not aware New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup 2011 & much of the work going on post September the 4th 2010 here on roads etc was not repairing earthquake damage but upgrading towards the World Cup. As we drove down Fitzgerald Avenue on the outskirts of the CBD we came across this sign which was obviously connected with the upgrade. Unable to remember the exact words but it went along these lines.

Due to requirement to upgrade the roads there will be some disruption & change in configuration of roading design.

The laughter went on for a while. They certainly got their change in configuration.

I think most of all it is the feeling of despair you get from people. As I say to me it is just like another day in paradise(Baghdad) in many ways. For many it is that shattered mindset that all those aweful things just don't happen in New Zealand & they are not handling it well.

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