Well, that was scary. We were asleep when last night’s big earthquake started, but we were awake within seconds, and racing upstairs to get the kids out of bed and into doorways. I felt a heavy rocking motion, and our house seemed to keep on quivering for quite some time, possibly up to a minute. The earthquake itself only lasted for about 15 seconds, but our wooden house did exactly what it was supposed to do, and moved with it, and kept on shivering.
It was the biggest earthquake I have felt for many years. And it has reminded me that I really must sort my earthquake kit out – water, canned food, candles, matches, batteries, radio. Also coffee.
Last time the earth moved for me, back in February, it seemed to take about 10 or 15 minutes for the NZ Quakes app on my iPad to report it. This time around, I have a app, GeoNetQuake, which is still in beta mode. The app gives almost immediate reports on quakes. After the shaking stopped, we brought the girls down to our bedroom for a few minutes, to talk and to reassure them, and to find out what we could about it. Within just four minutes, we knew that the epicentre was about 60km south of Opunake on Taranaki’s south coast, so it was about 150km from us, it was about 230km deep, and it was about 6.5 on the Richter scale. The information was nearly instant. By this morning it had been updated: about 7 on the Richter scale.
It was probably an overreaction, getting the girls out of bed, but it was one of those instant decisions. Better to be safe and all that. And a good drill for when a really big earthquake hits.
To that emergency kit add: baby wipes, paper plates and a car charger (or other alternative) for your cellphone. Make sure you have a plan for what to do if you can’t use your loo.
Our experience here was that dairies and supermarkets were able to open quite quickly so food wasn’t a big issue but safe drinking water took weeks to arrive and sewage took months.
That was NOT an over-reaction. THe young ones are old enough to be given ‘the drill’ for such emergencies, and the de-briefing with re-assurances was just what they needed at the time. Let them help with planning and suggestions, and get them to help with assembling the earthquake kit.
All the best,
Gae, in Callala Bay
Put your earthquake supplies in those big stackable rolly bins, and store them in the garden shed.
Because it will be easier to pull a collapsed shed off them than a collapsed house.
It must have been a pretty big and scarey one in PN. I loved that people were tweeting while it was on.
A roll of black garbage bags was useful on the toilet front. I also have tarpaulin, buckets, rope and blankets post ChCh – although the chances of losing the roof again are slight the tarpaulin is good on the ground or concrete, buckets for catching rainwater and holding the garbage bag toilet, and I needed the blankets once the shock shaking kicked in.
that sounds frightful deborah. I second that tip about baby wipes. they have many uses!
apart from being a little shaken I hope this finds you super.
love Lisa
i used to be so blase about earthquakes – since the Canterbury quakes, not any more. still don’t have a decent quake survival kit tho.
Big hugs, Deborah. I was trying to remember where all my tweeps are when I heard about that one. I guess we can be all very grateful it was such a deep shake.
And as Gae said – definitely not an over-reaction. All you know at the time is that the world is shaking… and not stopping.
I still want to get an outside shed to store certain pieces of equipment in. We bought a tent after the Chch quakes – not for camping but for in case our house becomes uninhabitable. Just gotta get the sleeping bags, although my Krissy wants to make them out of old duvets.
You are such an amazing mum. Big hugs again.