Christchurch Earthquake

I just made the decision that I would start begin to include some new stories that take my interest, normally I detest writing my own material from someone elses work when I could just copy it & link back to them. I have no problem giving credit, I just hate rewriting something when there's no point, but it would also be nice to be recognised as more of a journalist (like Nikky Raney) and less of a really below-par blogger.

This image in particular has been doing the rounds across the internet of a building and powerpole collapsing on a street, this is in the central business district so it's pretty major, Christchurch is New Zealand's third largest city after all and a 7.1 magnitude earthquake (although initial reports stated 7.2 and than 7.4) in a bustling city, especially on a Saturday, is never a good weekend. It's pretty traumatic hearing people I know whose houses have collapsed and stuff, scary stuff - best left to the news, not my own reality.

The earthquake was at 4.35am this morning, 4th September GST +12, not whatever lame time America likes to think the world revolves around. (PST + EST I think, whatever.)

I live five hours away and I think I was awoken by an aftershock earthquake at around 5.30am, not the initial one which is strange. I awoke and could hear strange noises that for some reason sounded like scary breaths and than the rattling on stuff in the house and I could have SWORN there was a burglar, than I got a text from my childhood friend, Chloe Barrington, who lives in Christchurch saying:

"You okay in nelson? Powersout in chch, still large aftershock, nothing broken."

That was the first I heard of it, so thank god for my phone with mobile internet (which I topped up yesterday, phew!) I got Tweeting and looking up on the news as the information came in and got up at 7am to watch the One News live broadcast.

So yeah, good luck getting some sleep tonight Canterbury (the entire district), for me to be woken up in Nelson, five hours drive away, it must've been pretty horrific!

http://www.civildefence.govt.nz seems to be the best website to get your health and safety information from, plenty of news media sites and donations/appeals happening which is good. Here's the map of the South Island so you can get your bearings. Christchurch is by the peninsula sticking out halfway down on the right and Nelson is at the top at the base of the 'V' shape.

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