The Quake, Etc.

Many people have been asking about the quake, so I figured I would do a quick post. When I was in the Christchurch arrea in January there was a general sense of paranoia that another earthquake could strike at any second. One morning at about 6AM I woke up to see my camper bus rocking back and forth underneath me. I was to groggy to realize it at the time, but what I experienced was actually one of the thousands of after shocks that have occured since the first earthquake in September. In January there were those in the area that had already decided that they needed an extended absence from Christchurch in order to calm their nerves and assure themselves that the ground beneath their feet was stable.

Yesterday at 1PM prooved that the fears were not unfounded. The quake that hit was closer, quicker, and more intense than even the original. Hundreds of people are feared dead and many of the iconic buildings of the city are ruined. Luckily, I am far from the area, but the newspaper this morning was filled with photos and stories of yesterdays events. On the radio, residents were calling in to relate their situations. Many were without power and running water. All those systems that took so much effort to construct were completely destroyed a few seconds. Despite these conditions people there have been told not to leave their homes for three days, something which would be quite difficult when separated from a loved one.

Once and a while I am amazed by the advancements humanity has made to tame the chaos around us, but at times like this I am also amazed by how fragile our security can be. Thousands of hours of labor, years and years of work, hundreds of lives, destroyed in a few small seconds. And after all of this damage, the broadcasters still are careful to remind that such an "aftershock" will lead to more aftershocks.

So anyway, I am sure the international news is covering it, but that is my take. I am grateful to be safe and sound, even if Invercargill is boring, cloudy town.