[Tefal II]

Just wondering what it is like to live in an area with earthquake activity.... Is it a big thing or something that is barely noticed? Are some areas worse off than others? Coming from Scotland the worse we have to deal with is flooding from all the rain...

[veronica]

Think they have the flooding problem here too. We haven't had any earthquakes since we have been here (OK ITS ONLY 3 MONTHS) but I don't think its a big deal. All the newer buildings have to be built to a certain earthquake standard and tin is prefered over tile for a roofing material, even the outer brick wall in newer housing is designed to fall outwards in any wobbles the ground cares to produce. If nature is going to throw something at us I think we just have to try and roll and go with it.

[alexh]

There was a big scarey program on the TV about 2 months ago saying how Auckland is destined to be completely flattened.

Luckily my other half never saw it, so still on our way if we get either the points or a job offer!

Sorry, I cannot remember the name of the program

alex

[veronica]

Yeah I have heard about that, and about the rockfalls from outer space and the tidal waves .....etc. the chances are you will worry so much about things like that you will forget to concentrate when crossing the road and the proverbial bus will get you instead. What will be will be so you may as well enjoy the time you have.

[Raeven]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. For what it's worth, here are my thoughts on this subject:

I think anyone planning to move to NZ and live there for the duration of their lives should seriously consider they will endure a large -- and I mean very large -- earthquake at some point. They are quite overdue for one. And believe me, if it lets go at 8 or 9.anything in Wellington, you'll be affected by it in Tauranga and Nelson!! There is no way to really explain how devastating such a quake will be. Many buildings will fall down (hopefully not on top of you!), the soil could completely liquefy, and the resulting tsunami will pretty much annihilate any oceanfront property.. assuming it managed to stay standing through the quake itself. This kind of shake is a Big One by any reckoning. The damage it will cause is incalculable. That said, most of us will live through it and have astounding stories to share with our friends and relatives.

They're not so bad. Take reasonable precautions. Consider what will happen to any house you are thinking of buying if (when) a big earthquake hits. Re-think your love of brick structures. Take survival seriously and lay in food and water supplies sufficient to get you by for a week or so on your own. Learn first aid. Have a plan for getting your loved ones together if your cell phone doesn't work (it won't). Know how to turn off electricity, gas and water supplies at their sources. Most people who perish in earthquakes die from buildings falling on top of them, so have a game plan in mind of where you'll take cover when the shaking starts. They really can get quite large before nasty things happen. We had a 6.5 here almost a year ago.. it was quite close (30 miles north of us), and although it was an impressive ride, there was comparatively little damage done. Two people died -- from old brick structures falling on top of them.

Re the frequency of earthquakes in NZ, you won't really be too aware of them until they exceed 5.0. After that, you'll notice them depending on how close you are to them and what kind of shakes they are. Don't be afraid of them; just respect them and be ready for them!

Shake it baybee, shake it!! - Rae

[Pakeha Boy]

I just cannot believe how cleverly you keep that disguise!!
What a thoroughly decent person you are Raeven.
Being married to that kiwi sure is starting to rub off, eh!!?

[Raeven]

LOL, Pakeha Boy, thanks!..... I think. :D

This just happens to be a subject I know a little about.. personally, I've never understood how anyone can live in tornado, hurricane or flood country.. those have always seemed much scarier to me than the chance of the occasional earthquake! I guess it's all about perspective.

I expect several Californians will weigh in on this thread.. after all, we're just moving from one side of the Pacific Plate to the other!

All the best, Rae

[coastcat]

Earthquakes are, er, interesting. :eek Learn about building codes, and when you purchase a house have it inspected and reinforced/retrofitted as necessary. Follow Rae's advice about being prepared. Even if you never need to use your emergency kit, you'll feel a lot better having it ready!

It's possible to get used to frequent small quakes. I spent four years living in the San Francisco area, and eventually realized that my apartment shook more when trucks drove by than during most earthquakes.

(okay, the 1989 Loma Prieta quake was a bit of an exception... )

[Nicola]

I saw the program about the volcanic activity and earthquakes around the Pacific rim as well. To say I was worried by it might have been an understatement.

Until, I looked up seismic activity in Scotland. You should have a look, we do not have large quakes, but they are happening quite often. Take for example the quake in the Birmingham area either last year or a couple of years ago. I myself felt one in Edinburgh in the early 80’s. Not anywhere near the New Zealand level yet, but who knows what could happen in the future. At least they are prepared.

[Raeven]

coastcat... you were in Loma Prieta? <bowing reverently!!>

We felt it down here in San Luis Obispo County, but of course from here it felt only like the big truck passing. I had many friends in the Loma Prieta and that one was S-C-A-R-Y. Would love to hear your story sometime!!

And still a comparatively small quake when you think of the 8.5 or 9.0 that's overdue in NZ... my mind simply won't grasp it. Just as well.

:wah

Rae

[markkellaway]

Hi All,

Remember that TV programs have to be "dramatic" to attract viewers. Yes it is likely that there will be a huge eruption in Auckland at some point, or a large earthquake somewhere too. The fact is no one knows when this is going to happen.

Underneath Yellowstone Park in the US there is a HUGE magma chamber, the ground is elevating at quite a rate due to the pressure. One day that is going to blow too and will devastate much of the US, with the effects felt worldwide, but the fact is what can we do about it? :?

You have to what is right for you now, someone said earlier in the thread that you'll get run over thinking about it, that is absolutely right! :clap You have to keep all these things in perspective.

For those interested in the Earthquakes and Volcanic activity in NZ take a look at this site:

http://www.geonet.org.nz/

Cheers,

Mark. :D

[karltsmith]

I've experienced two quakes and neither in NZ ! Both were infact in the UK ...believe it or not! A 6.5 off theWelsh coast in the 1980's and the nearly famous Dudley quake in 2002 (I think).

Anyway those of you with kids will soon learn that schools are well prepared for such events and regular earthquake drills are run to ensure kids know what to do and more impotantly what not to do!

Even my 2 year old twins are being taught earthquakke drill at their Playcentre!

Rae is right you need to have a game plan just in case and plemty of info is available.

Karl

[Tara Sage]

I know I was so surprised when my son came home from school on his first day and said that they had don an earthquake drill :eek

I wasn't expecting that, but at least they know what to do.

[coastcat]

coastcat... you were in Loma Prieta? <bowing reverently!!>

We felt it down here in San Luis Obispo County, but of course from here it felt only like the big truck passing. I had many friends in the Loma Prieta and that one was S-C-A-R-Y. Would love to hear your story sometime!!

Oh dear, I don't want to scare anyone! But then again, it might help others moving to a quake-prone area...

Well, it wasn't that bad, believe it or not. I lived and worked in Sunnyvale, where much of the construction was from the mid-1970s or later (translation: newer construction that followed strict building codes). I was at work when the quake hit, and was thrown out of my chair. Luckily I landed under my desk, which was not a bad place to be when things are falling! Our office was closed for just one day (to inspect the building and replace the overhead sprinkler heads that had fallen), and my apartment complex suffered zero damage. The only breakage in my apartment was an ice cube that had fallen in the freezer. (no, really!)

Buildings that are properly designed and built will fare well in a strong quake. That doesn't mean they'll be undamaged, just that the damage will probably not be severe. The ones that collapsed in the Loma Prieta quake were mainly older buildings that hadn't been retrofitted. The Marina District, which suffered badly from collapse and fires, was a prime example of bad planning. The houses were built on poorly constructed landfill (basically just random rubble with dirt on it), and were designed with ground-level garages without reinforcement. Retrofitting (putting in braces, bolting the house to the foundation) would have helped. The double-decker section of interstate that collapsed was scheduled for retrofitting, but it hadn't been done yet (and that's lousy design for a quake-prone area to begin with).

After a major quake, don't expect to have all utilities up and running. I was luckily in that our electric and telephone service was uninterrupted (cable TV went out for a day or so, though), but telephone circuits were jammed. It took my brother 10 hours to get through. (I was still wide awake at 3am, watching the local news coverage and wondering why the heck I moved to California!) There are more communication options these days, but some of them may not function for a while.

Just be prepared. No worries. :nice1

[drumminj]

Wow, I'm glad I read this thread. Well, I guess not, if ignorance truly is bliss.

This is something I definitely hadn't considered. I grew up in Chicago where there is regular concern for tornados, but living in Austin has made me complacent. Very little risk of tornados, or hurricanes, or earthquakes. There is flooding from time to time, but that hasn't been a concern for me.

Never been in an earthquake. That could be fun. I'm still disappointed I've never seen a tornado.

J

[jerjon]

Keep in mind that severe earthquake damage is often rather localized. UNless you are very near the epicentre you may not have any damage although you will feel the quake. It can be VERY disconcerting to wake up to a shaking bed (first thought is always an intruder!). Where I live in California (the Mojave Desert) I do not feel many quakes at all, perhaps a few tremors a year, however the perception is that if you are in California you feel quakes all the time. You have a much higher risk of being injured in an auto accident than being hurt by an earthquake

[coastcat]

This is something I definitely hadn't considered. I grew up in Chicago where there is regular concern for tornados, but living in Austin has made me complacent. Very little risk of tornados, or hurricanes, or earthquakes. There is flooding from time to time, but that hasn't been a concern for me.

Never been in an earthquake. That could be fun. I'm still disappointed I've never seen a tornado.

We get tornadoes in the Washington area, plus the aftermath of hurricanes. And two weeks after I moved back here from California, we had an earthquake! Tornadoes are scary. One recently wandered through College Park (location of the University of Maryland), about three miles east of our house. Yikes! I prefer earthquakes.

Don't be too complacent. Tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes are scary, but I find Texans to be even scarier. :mrgreen:

Keep in mind that severe earthquake damage is often rather localized. UNless you are very near the epicentre you may not have any damage although you will feel the quake.

The Loma Prieta quake's epicenter was in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The worst damage in the quake occurred in downtown San Francisco and Oakland, nearly 100km away. A lot depends on what's under your feet. Solid bedrock near the epicenter won't shake nearly as violently as gravelly soil (or poor-quality landfill) further away.

You can amuse yourselves with this earthquake damage simulator (http://dsc.discovery.com/anthology/unsolvedhistory/earthquake/interactive/interactive.html). It might not be all that reassuring, be warned....

[karltsmith]

OK Lets talk P, S and L waves!!!!!!!!!!! Don't you just love Geology?

:uhoh :uhoh :uhoh :uhoh :uhoh

[drumminj]

Don't be too complacent. Tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes are scary, but I find Texans to be even scarier. :mrgreen:


It's a good thing I'm an Austinite, not a Texan. Texan's definitely are scary :uhoh

[Tefal II]

Big thanks to everyone - it is something that I have been worrying about since getting NZ into my head. We're visiting in Oct - so hopefully 'the big one' will wait a wee while longer to strike... :hopeso

[Dave & Sandra]

If it's any consolation, Dave is a structural engineer and he had to study the NZ building codes for 2 weeks before he actually did anything.

He says they are more rigorous than any other place he has ever worked, UK, Hong Kong, Saudi, Poland, purely because NZ is an earthquake zone. If buildings are constructed properly they should withstand most earthquakes, not sure to what level though. :?

[Raeven]

You can amuse yourselves with this earthquake damage simulator (http://dsc.discovery.com/anthology/unsolvedhistory/earthquake/interactive/interactive.html). It might not be all that reassuring, be warned....

Cool, I had so much fun with this, making the building fall down!!

Definitely planning to stay away from large buildings in New Zealand. Definitely. <Rain Man voice>

Rae

[ali]

hi there,
the only thing i can say is that nothing really prepares you for being in an earthquake. we were in oamaru (east coast) when an earthquake happened just off fiordland (west coast) september last year. I was just going to bed when the floor started 'rolling' in a sort of wave motion, it caused me to fall over and freaked out my girlfriend in the living room who was nearly hit by a mirror falling off the wall. in all it lasted about 20 seconds and was the scariest/weirdest thing i've ever experienced, and we were miles away from the epicentre. the house (wood/tin roof) was ok bar a few cracks but next door (brick/tile roof) had the insurance company round because of damage. (you pay an earthquake levy on your buildings insurance in nz). if there is a'big one' on it's way i just hope its a few years away yet.
al

[coastcat]

Oh, this reminds me of one more preparation you should make... get a roll of heavy-duty Velcro, the kind with adhesive. Use it to fasten objects to shelves - the Velcro keeps objects secure, but you can still remove them for cleaning. This is particularly handy for vases, plates, and other fragile decorative pieces.

Bookcases and heavy mirrors/pictures should be secured to the walls with anchor bolts or something similar. For your framed paintings/prints, replace glass with acrylic. Valuable china should be stored to minimize potential damage (bubble wrap is great stuff).

And don't forget the garage! Anything you keep in there (especially flammable or toxic substances) should be stored securely. You don't want things falling on your car!

[Raeven]

Gaaahhh, well, Parkfield finally let go!!

There I was, drooling and thinking about the chocolate thread, watching some inane talk show on morning TV where I was thrilled to hear yet one more time about Jack LaLanne's 90th birthday (he lives in Morro Bay, incidentally, and I happen to know his true secret to longevity -- it's alcohol!!), when all of a sudden the house is rockin' and rollin' again!!! With great dignity, I belly-slunk toward the sliding glass door (against all good earthquake advice, I might add!) and listened as all the glassware rattled, and I wondered if this time the chimney would fall through the roof on top of me.

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Maps/120-36.html

They're so much fun. Even the aftershocks have been impressive!!

Had to share!!

:wah

Rae

[Diny]

Many years ago I experienced an earthquake in NZ. I was sitting in te kitchen with my mother in law at the time. There was me - running around like a headless chicken screeching 'what's that what's that' ... she just carried on peeling the spuds and casually replied ... 'oh that's an earthquake'.

We also experienced quite a rumble here in the UK a couple of years ago. I woke up when I realised the bed was shaking then I got abit worried when the perfume bottles on the dressing table started clinking together. It was wierd - definately not something we're used to here.

But I guess I will get to regard them as 'fun' (not).

Diny

[Moorf]

Been reading about quakes and decided to live on a hill here in Chch as it appears a tsunami would completely submerge the city!

:laugh

So I could get to live in Cashmere and have the sea lapping at the front door!! Wax that board!! :P

[jesselyn]

Gaaahhh, well, Parkfield finally let go!!

There I was, drooling and thinking about the chocolate thread, watching some inane talk show on morning TV where I was thrilled to hear yet one more time about Jack LaLanne's 90th birthday (he lives in Morro Bay, incidentally, and I happen to know his true secret to longevity -- it's alcohol!!), when all of a sudden the house is rockin' and rollin' again!!! With great dignity, I belly-slunk toward the sliding glass door (against all good earthquake advice, I might add!) and listened as all the glassware rattled, and I wondered if this time the chimney would fall through the roof on top of me.

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/Maps/120-36.html

They're so much fun. Even the aftershocks have been impressive!!

Had to share!!

:wah

Rae

rae,

heard on the radio about the earthquake in CA umm it made me think of you and allison :oops:
it didnt occur to me tho that you are thinking about chocolate at that time :? ;)

jes :angel

[coastcat]

it didnt occur to me tho that you are thinking about chocolate at that time :? ;)

I think it's a fair assumption that, at any given time, she's thinking about chocolate. I sure am. :laugh

[rensburg]

Oh the wondrous sound of a quake!
Like a train passing under our feet
when all things rattle and shake
it's time to rush out to the street

I might have had a nice treat
if a pretty girl fled from her bed
but we'll never have time to meet
'cause Ill be to far ahead.

If a tree should fall on my head,
I won't know that I'm dead!
I'll continue to go
like a shot from a bow
and run forever instead.

...sorry, couldn't resist!