[bwalters]

I hope all our members from New Zealand are OK. PonySmurf is from there for one.

[Smurfysmurf]

I heard it was pretty bad over there. I am a member of a Footy forum with a lot of NZ members, and here is what one of them wrote

Happened early this morning here in Christchurch, around 4.30am. Was just about to hit the hay and then baaam, everything went pitch black, things were falling/smashing to the ground, freaked me right out ay! Had a look round the house to inspect the damage at daylight (I couldn't get any sleep afterwards) and most all the doors/windows won't either open or close properly, it's like the whole frame of the house has totally warped! To look at the roof on the inside, looks as if it has shifted at least 1/4 an inch, and on one of the corners on the outside of the house has a dirty great big staircase crack (1/2 inch) going from bottom to top (or top to bottom). Watched the news and some people weren't as fortunate as me as, they really copped it bad (total demo jobs). Yea, even as I type there are still small hints of mini tremors hanging about. I'm tired so I better catch some Z's...

Darryl (Kiwismurf) is from Christchurch...I hope he is ok

[Tojo]

Darryl (Kiwismurf) is from Christchurch...I hope he is ok

Yeah I really hope he's ok too. I've looked at some of the photos on the internet & read some of the reports too. It looks like it will be quite a while before things are back to normal.

[bwalters]

PonySmurf is from Wellington. Not sure where that is or where the earthquake hit. I sent him a message on Facebook. As of yet he has not responded. I hope it's because the internet being down, or something like that. Someone told me the quake hit Friday. I just saw it on the news this morning.

[Tintin]

Hi

I hope every one is ok there !!!!!

Greetings Tintin

[bradley]

I believe there were no deaths from the earthquake in NZ thankfully.

[SmurfingH]

I've seen Daryl (Kiwismurf) posting on facebook and he is ok but shaken. I don't think he suffered much damage.

[bwalters]

PonySmurf sent me a message saying he was OK too. Thats good news.

[KiwiSchlumpf]

Hi guys Daryl here
Yes we had a 7.1 quake strike us at 4:35am on Saturday. It was from a fault line that was previously unknown and hadn't had a quake in some 16,000 years - it moved some 5 meters in less than a minute. My house has had some damage with the first quake. Part of the foundation has sunk and will need some work and the house has 16 cracks so far... about 8 are serious the others may be plastered over. Some friends have lost their homes with over 500 homes unlivable. There are army and police on the streets and a state of emergency will be in place until next wednesday when it will be reassessed. Parts of the city are cordoned off and they are demolishing some 90 buildings within the CBD. And with those buildings have gone many jobs as businesses close. Some roads and bridges have been chewed up. Our water has been declared safe to drink and things are starting to return to normal (except for the above). We have had a series of big aftershocks 5.1 - 5.5. Today has been pretty quiet touch wood. The smurfs are all okay albeit shaken. We are now awaiting the predicted 6.x aftershock, fingers crossed its deep and distant.
hoorooh
Daryl

[SmurfingH]

Glad you're ok Daryl! At least the house can be repaired, even smurfs can be replaced, but people can't!

[bwalters]

Glad to hear you are OK Daryl. I got a message from PonySmurf he is OK too. I guess a 7.1 would be pretty scary especally at 4:35am.

[KiwiSchlumpf]

Er Yeah.. Wellington is a wee way from the quake zone. His smurfs will be blissfully unaware of the plight of their kindred in the south.

Yeap 7.1 is pretty bad, luckily the epi-centre was 30kms away, some of the aftershocks have been much closer. We are awaiting the big 6.x aftershock and just hoping its not centred on us. To put it in perspective...

3.x feels like a bit of mild turbulence small bumps or jolts you can calmly shrug it off.

4.x is rather bad turbulence it now has your undivided attention but calmness returns after you realise that that was it.

5.x is your plane in freefall at speed before being slammed back in the other direction real fast several times, very loud you are getting to cover and are a cross between annoyed and fearful although little time for either. You are no longer completely calm.

We haven't had a 6.x yet but I aren't looking forward to it.... because...

7.x you are air born and your plane is turning and twisting around you, bits flying off everywhere, hallways are not straight as they flex like a dog wagging its tail. The idea of crouching in the door frame is a goal as you can barely make contact with floor or frame until it comes up to hit you. It went on like this for what seemed a minute or more. You hear things smashing and wonder what it was, very loud roaring from the ground and noises from your house that houses shouldn't make and that you just can't identify. You have no time for fear, you are just trying to stay on your feet and getting thru it. You are only composed because of adrenaline and you will emotionally crash later on when reality sinks in. When it finishes you are heart broken to see your house and contents looking like its been ransacked by mother nature.

[Tojo]

It's good to hear from you Daryl & to hear that apart from some damage to your house things don't sound to bad for you. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like there at the moment but I really hope that if there is a big afterhock then that it happens as far away from the city as possible.

I can remember when I visited San francisco in 1990 which wasn't long after the large earthquake there & there were freeway flyovers collapsed on top of each other in a mess of tangled concrete!! I think earthquakes are scary things

[bwalters]

I was in San Fransisco in 1995 we didn't have any earthquakes. I though about them when I was told I was going to school there, but I didn't think about them while there.

[Smurfysmurf]

I am glad you are fine, Darryl.
I can't imagine being in an earthquake, and really don't want to either.

Hopefully, you get everything fixed..and the 6. one is nowhere near you

[Smurfysmurf]

There's been another earthquake

http://www.smh.com.au/world/multiple-de ... 1b356.html

The pictures look horrible...I hope, Darryl is ok

[bwalters]

Not sure what is happening south of me. Last I heard 40 earthquakes last week. Small in comparison to what is happening in New Zeland. I have not felt any of them, but I think Max and the dog next door did. They both started barking at the same time a couple of nights ago. Max has barked more in the last couple of weeks than ever before. Not sure why, maybe this is the answer. I know this earth quake that hit New Zeland was nothing compaired to the big one in Sept. But I do hope Daryl is OK.

[PonySmurf]

Yeah Mr Bill this one was bad... quite a few deaths from what I'm hearing in the local news.

[bwalters]

Yea I'm hearing it on my local news. 65 dead and 100 missing. Not good. Hope you are OK Daryl.

[Tojo]

I've just read the news reports too It sounds like utter chaos there with rescue teams on the way from overseas including Taiwan.

I also really hope that Daryl is ok this time as well. I hope his house hasn't had any more damage done to it either.