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Topic: 7.4 On the Richter Scale

Graham Ritchie
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From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted September 04, 2010 03:20 PM

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Well folks what a weekend on friday night at 4.30am we woke up to something that sounded like a frieght train comimg through our house. I jumped out of bed and then it hit big time the place just shook violently I called to my wife Earthquake and to get out. The shake the worst since 1931 seemed to last forever well over a minute my wife tried to switch a light on in the total darkness and found the power was off so it was a frantic search to find a torch or something and get out.

Once the shake was over all the birds and geese from nearby ponds were all flying overhead making a real noise. It was a cold dark night with a clear sky but as we looked across to the city it was in total darkness. The house we have sits on concrete piles and amazingly seemed ok all water was off the only thing working was my wife cellphone. I cellphone towers have battery back up so we managed to text my son an daughter Steven later told me when it hit the noise was incridible and everything shook all over the place they grabbed Conner from his cot and got out. April also said the place is a mess with large cracks in the ground just outside. Once I knew they were ok I checked our neighbours they were shaken but mentioned that it will be only an hour before sunrise. In the inner city some buildings had collapsed water supply was damaged with ruptured mains all over the place. We were all very lucky no one was killed. earthquakes are not that uncommon out here but this one was a big one. We are still having aftershocks over 30 we have counted so far two at least at 5.8 on the rickter scale and as I type this another minor one just came through. Power in back on in most places but people are being warned to be carefull on the use of water which is slowly starting to come back. The centre of the earthquake was close only 40 miles away and 10 miles deep and we have been told to expect another big one "hopefully not" but with almost constant aftershocks that might be the case. Its been a very tiring time for everyone and credit to the people of this city and civil defence for the amazing job done so far hopefully things will settle down soon, well better go another small aftershock is making things rattle.

Graham.

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John Davis
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From: Dunfermline, Fife, UK
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posted September 04, 2010 03:39 PM

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Hi Graham,
Your news was the first item on the news here this morning and the good news, for what's it's worth, is that there were no fatalities.
The fact you've emailed shows that the infrastructure seems robust. Hopefully the worst is over and the aftershocks won't cause any further damage.
I don't want to come back with terrific morale boosting slogans because I can't image what you have experienced and it may trivialise what has happened to your area.
But please know the people of New Zealand are in our thoughts over here.
John

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Joe Taffis
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posted September 04, 2010 04:36 PM

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Very scary Graham! Stay well! I don't know the geography of New Zealand, but I hope our fellow member Trevor Adams in Auckland is O.K. too!

--------------------
Joe Taffis

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 04, 2010 09:16 PM

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Thanks John and Joe
I am at the cinema where I work at the moment to check things out its a two story building and we are on the top half and in the short time we have been here we had two good shakes the projectors and platters were literly bouncing around and we are getting out very soon its way to dangerous. Its amazing the forces at play "quite scary really" after shocks are increasing in strength. I spoke to the mall manager she was saying she had friends in the last San Francisco earthquake and reckon this is worse. I made the mistake to say its 10 miles down its 10km instead and the mall/cinema is 40km away from where the earthquake is centered. I have been told experts are saying a bigger one than the 7.4 is likely, everyone is feeling weary, last night I counted three smaller ones that woke us up They are so unpredictable you just never know when they are going to hit. The experts also say this could go on up to two weeks I hope not.

Graham.

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Bill Phelps
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posted September 04, 2010 09:29 PM

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Thinking of you and your family Graham. When I heard this news on the radio I thought of you and some others that I "know" from the forum. Hope all is well.

Bill

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John Clancy
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posted September 05, 2010 09:33 AM

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I hope your film collection is okay!?! Well, it's best to concentrate on what's important!

--------------------
British Film Collectors Convention home page www.bfcc.biz. The site is for the whole of the film collecting hobby and not just the BFCC.

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Rob Young.
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posted September 05, 2010 12:54 PM

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Graham, about 10 years ago or so we experienced earthquakes in Manchester UK which measured I guess, 2 or maybe 3 at most, but they were terrifying!

The after shocks rumbled on for about two weeks. We lived in the top floor flat of a three story building at the time and our whole flat literally shook with each after shock...often in the middle of the night. It was awful...I can only imagine what you are going through.

Best wishes and hope it is all over soon.

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Steve Klare
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posted September 05, 2010 02:09 PM

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After I heard of this I thought of you immediately, Graham. I'm glad you all came through it OK.

Back when I was in college I was upstairs in my room and all of a sudden the house did this odd shake and rattle like a train had gone past, but we were nowhere near any tracks and it was quiet outside. It was just this brief swaying back and forth for a few seconds, probably not even a half inch in either direction, but it was startling. Normally we think of buildings as being stationary...

The next day on the News we heard the New York area had experienced a very rare earthquake: Richter Scale maybe 2.5.

Considering a 7.4 Richter earthquake would be 100,000 times as intense, I can't imagine what you've experienced.

I worked a while with a contract manufacturer in San Fransisco. The columns in their building were easily 5 feet thick. I guess it pays to be prepared. They assigned me an office on the fifth floor...to an earthquake novice it was a little uneasy!

[ September 05, 2010, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: Steve Klare ]

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 05, 2010 07:47 PM

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Thanks everyone
Its incredible no one was killed the after shocks are a lot less now so hopefully no more "spoke to soon another good one" I have added some photos of the city centre that later that morning would have been busy with Saturday morning shoppers. At present all schools are closed as with public buildings after shocks are around 4-5 on the Richter and if that last one a moment ago is anything to go by they are not in any way finished yet.

Prime Minister John Key in the city centre

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Kurt Gardner
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posted September 06, 2010 04:33 PM

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Yes, glad you got out fine!

I was in the Northridge California earthquake in 1994. I awoke to find all the walls in my apartment cracking and the toilet in the back bathroom exploding! It is truly terrifying.

For months my neighborhood looked like a war zone.

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 07, 2010 12:43 AM

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Thanks Kurt
Last night we had five more at 4-5 on the Richter scale two in particular gave us a good shake one around midnight another about 4am both 5.4. I have lost track the total since Friday night but the paper says its 68 with 19 of those over 4.5 to 7pm Sunday night. I would say nightime is the worst as its hard to sleep as you are on edge waiting for the next one, however the good news its been 12 hours and nothing. I visited my daughters place today and water is now back on so things are on the mend a lot of work has been done. It also says a lot for the wooden construction and strict building conditions regarding earthquakes that many properties although damaged roughly around 100.000 have not fallen down. Its been the older brick ones that have suffered the most. I was reading that scientists believe that on the friday night that not one but three earthquakes just seconds apart unleashed energy 40km away and 10km down was equivalent to 670,000 tonnes of explosives. The clean up and getting things back and running are well under way the cost of damage etc they say is around $2 billion dollars but the most important thing thankfully that no one was killed.

Here is one last photo, like the rest are from the net and this one appeared on the front page yesterday of this historical 154 year old building.

Graham.

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Patrick Walsh
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posted September 07, 2010 01:51 AM

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Shook me right out of bed! [Eek!]

[Eek!]

Sadly my cinema has been damaged so it has been condemed!
hopefully it can be opened up again but it is over 80 years old and has lots of cracks in the walls and roof.
Lucky no one has been killed.

--------------------
"Raise The Titanic!", It would of been cheaper to lower the Atlantic!

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 07, 2010 04:07 PM

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Pat
Sorry to here that news, Pat check out any Govt assistance you might be able to get.
No doubt you would have felt that large jolt/shake half and hour ago it was a 5.1 on the Richter scale and only 6km deep this time, this is scary stuff and just when we thought it might be over! everyones nerves are on edge.

Graham.

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Patrick Walsh
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posted September 07, 2010 04:46 PM

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Your right about that Graham! yes lots of shakes still out here, there has been 2 big ones so far today (wed)

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Larry Arpin
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posted September 07, 2010 06:26 PM

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I was in the Northridge, Ca. earthquake also but don't remember it ever being as bad as you poor fellows down there describe it being. We had some aftershocks but not big ones that I can remember. Of course, that was over 15 years ago. Hope everything settles down.

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Patrick Walsh
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posted September 08, 2010 06:01 PM

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Just had some big aftershocks here now, it is a really weird feeling, knowing that one can't do anything to escape this destruction.
Our house is made from bricks so it has cracked in all four corners [Frown]

[Frown]

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"Raise The Titanic!", It would of been cheaper to lower the Atlantic!

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 11, 2010 03:05 AM

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Just thought I would make a quick mention that things are on the up and up. The after shocks are a lot less now about one a day and although things still rattle a bit they are not as severe. At the moment the cinema where I work has been busy as the large cinema chains three Hoyts and one Reading are still closed because of damage, with schools still shut until monday many parents have been taking their kids to the movies.

I guess its to get their mind of things, there are only two other cinemas in this city one art house and one other on the outskirts at present still running. Its strange that the one I work at was closer than the others to the epicentre and although shaken up was given the all clear by a structural engineer last monday. I must admit to being a bit nervous in the projection room with those aftershocks "rumble and shake" the last few days [Eek!]

[Eek!]

Its been weird as I feel things are always moving same as you get after a long international flight plus your senses seem to be in overdrive. Last thursday night when our young part timer took over in the evening an aftershock came through... so its like guess what that one was competetion [Roll Eyes]

[Roll Eyes]

yep that was a 4.1 [Eek!]

[Eek!]

on monday night I got home and noticed that our cat was not curled up sleeping as usual but looking at me... thinking does that cat know something that I dont, well that night we got a few good ones so now I watch the cat if she is asleep that means a good night if not watch better out. I think animals sense things are going to happen so perhaps a cat and a couple of canaries thrown in and placed in the projection room at work might be the early warning system we need when the animals rush for the exit so will I. [Smile]

[Smile]

Even though things are a lot better now shake wise most people seem to be suffering nervous side effects after a constant week of it. I dont know if there is a name for that sympton but its certainly evident with most people I have met myself included.

Graham.

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Trevor Adams
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posted September 11, 2010 03:59 PM

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Thanks for the thought Joe.These folk down south are having a terrible time.
Auckland(touch wood)wasn't affected.
Geographically,Auckland and Christchurch are further apart than London and Berlin.Really sorry to hear about your lovely old theatre,Pat.Trev

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Trevor

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Bill Brandenstein
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posted September 13, 2010 12:46 PM

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Along with Kurt and Larry, I am one of the millions of survivors of the 1994 Northridge quake. What Graham has gone through is several times stronger, which explains why the aftershocks would also be proportionally stronger. But we remember vividly the relentlessness of the unrest brought on by the aftershocks. Laserdiscs of Empire Strikes Back, etc, with LOTS of bass, helped us with 'aftershock therapy!'

Sorry that you're going through this, but at least the worst seems to be over. There could still be rather large aftershocks, but at least it is getting longer and longer between them. A quake of that magnitude with no fatalities is something to be really thankful for -- amazing, really. That it happened at such an early hour would have to be the main reason.

Los Angeles or Southern California is long overdue for some substantial activity on the San Andreas fault. Graham, get cleaned up soon, 'cause we're all coming for a visit in the near future!

[ September 14, 2010, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Bill Brandenstein ]

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 14, 2010 05:19 AM

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Thanks Bill

You are all welcome [Smile]

[Smile]

Graham.

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 25, 2010 05:30 AM

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Well tonight I thought it was time to relax and watch a movie in our little home cinema, [Smile]

[Smile]

half way through the movie the ground started to move, it felt like something was coming up followed by side movement then the place started to shake [Eek!]

[Eek!]

within 10 minutes we had three one 4.1 the next 3.8 and another at 4.0 not a nice feeling thats for sure. All up since Sept 4th the experts say we have had an aftershock every 29 minutes and 10 seconds on average with a total of 1011 quakes of magnitude 2.0 or greater so far. We dont really feel the small ones but nearly every day, or worse at night you get a good thunp. Last night I woke up about 3am thinking its been a while now surely thats it "no more" well I got that wrong at 3.30am wham! It can be really weird as they hit and I am still amazed that a house can take that kind of punishment. At work this week I had to assure a lady customer out here from Holland and her young grandson that the cinema would not fall down as it took the 7.1 ok. However I did add the place might rattle a bit... but not to worry [Roll Eyes]

[Roll Eyes]

If any of you can remember the 1957 movie "The Smallest Show On Earth" well some of those earlier shakes a few weeks ago were close to that with me like Peter Sellers hanging onto a projector. We have been incredibly lucky that a strict building code for modern buildings regarding earthquakes has worked really well and proved a life saver many other countries would not be as lucky. Earthquakes I would say are one of the scariest experencies, they are unpredictable and violent when they hit and as shown tonight just when you think you can relax then....wham a reminder to let you know that its not over yet.

Graham.

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Joe Caruso
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posted September 25, 2010 12:50 PM

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My good friend Eric, also from NZ was there on Holiday when it all happened - God Bless all of you are safe

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Paul Adsett
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posted September 25, 2010 01:23 PM

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Hi Graham,
So sorry to hear about this, I had no idea this had ocurred as I just returned from two weeks in the UK, and stayed away from the newspapers and TV.
Well the main thing of course is that you and your family are safe. Property (including GS1200'S)can be replaced, people can't.
I am sure I speak for everyone on the forum when I say how relieved I am that you and all our NZ forum friends are safe, althogh I am dismayed that Patrick's little cinema has now been condemned- hopefully he can get it reopened again soon.
The worst natural disaster that I have ever been through was Hurricane Charley in 2004, which did a lot of damge to our house. That was scary, but not even on the same scale as what you have experienced which must have been truly terrifying.
Well I'm glad the power is back on at your house, the aftershocks are diminishing, so maybe you can relax with a little super 8. May I suggest a cracking little digest with Charlton Heston called Earthquake [Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
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Patrick Walsh
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posted September 25, 2010 02:40 PM

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Yes those after shocks have been a bit of a suprise, I was at my cinema last night which has been damaged and is currently closed and there was an aftershock, I tell you what dont be in a big old cinema when one happens as the whole building groaned and wobbled all over the place, it was built in 1925 and is made of re-enforced concrete with plaster on the top but it can still sure move like hell!

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Graham Ritchie
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posted September 27, 2010 04:47 AM

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Yesterday morning "and it is a true story" after reading Paul comments regarding the Universal digest "Earthquake" [Smile]

[Smile]

I once had a copy but sold it long long ago so watched the DVD instead. It has been a long time since the DVD was looked at but this time I took more notice and thought its not a bad movie, in fact its well done, anyway just over half way through the TV started to vibrate and glancing over to a nearby ceiling light hanging down I noticed it was swaying a little bit [Eek!]

[Eek!]

" anyway

[Roll Eyes]

my wife called out from the back bedroom did I feel that... I replied "yes" she asks what are you watching on TV "Earthquake" I said [Roll Eyes]

[Roll Eyes]

well folks that must be the ultimate in home entertainment dont you think, who needs "Sensurround" effects when you can have the real thing [Smile]

[Smile]

Graham.

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