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Another quake, and this time not so lucky

As most people have seen on TV, the scenes of death and destruction in the central city from the latest quake were horrific. In Lyttelton, which was actually the epicentre, there were casualties from the boulders that came plumetting down the surrounding hills. Our thoughts go to those who have lost friends and family members.

Although technically an aftershock, this quake set a world record in peak ground acceleration (PGA), hitting 2.2 when most buildings are built to withstand 0.8 (previouslt considered quite high). A PGA of 2.2 is equivalent to lifting the buildings 2.2. metres off the ground and dropping them - not something many buildings can cope with.

The cottage where Incodius is based lost the stone wall along the back of the building and the stone chimney that makes up another wall. However, the main structrure is all hardwood and seems solid. We're still working from here.

However, the city is in ruins. Thousands of people have left, many businesses are closed and relying on temporary government support that will only last 6 weeks (maybe long enough to relocate), and the piles of rubble and leaning buildings are only beginning to be demolished. This alone will take months, let alone the rebuild, and the actual inner city of Christchurch (the Red Zone) is predicted to be surrounded by a military cordon for up to a year. Driving along the surrounding streets, this almost seems an optimistic estimate - nearly all the buildings will need to be taken down a re-built.

Incodius is lucky that we have some out-of-town clients, and we'll be attempting to gain more, since for so many local businesses spending money on their web sites is so far down the list of what they need to invest in right now. Hopefully we'll be able to survive here, because it's a great part of the world. The first photos I took after the quake weren't of the destruction, but of an amazing sunset with mist flowing down the crater rim above the town. Yes, we live on a shakey island inside a dormant volcano, and earthquakes are a consequence of this. But so is the awesome landscape. Beautiful + dangerous is a great combination!

Post-quake view up the valley to the crater rim
Photo:Rita Langley

-Rita Langley