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New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

bbc.co.uk

41–50 of 163 posts

Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

#42
post #20

Does anyone know if there is any special effort to construct buildings that can withstand reasonable earthquakes in New Zealand? Christchurch seems particularly prone to quakes in New Zealand. I hope the people of New Zealand are safe.

A big problem in the Christchurch region is liquefaction. There's not much earthquake codes can do to keep the ground from turning to goop.

It wasn't liquefaction that killed people though. That is what removed a large portion of the housing stock in the east, however.

Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

#43
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Water pipes often accumulate a layer of sediment at the bottom. Anything that stirs it up will cause brief discolouration of the water. Your pipes may be fine. (That said, I wouldn't drink the water right now.)

I'm pretty sure Civil Defence announced it's been contaminated. I would get bottled water, and get away from the coast if you're anywhere near there, or get to high ground. If you have no other option, go to a building with reinforced concrete that's high such as a parking lot. The Tsunami warning is issued to as far as wellington, and all of the cook straight.

If you are getting bottled water after an earthquake, you are already f*cked.

Have water on hand beforehand! It's not like bottles of water aren't for sale everywhere.

Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

#45

Currently in Wellington. Was fucking shaky, seriously thought the building was about to collapse. This was ~500 km from the epicenter. We were evacuated and let back in. All the planning in the world doesn't prepare you for the real thing, the first thing you're meant to do is keep calm, and I sure as hell didn't. I sprinted right the fuck out of my apartment building, I have 4 levels above me, hiding under a table w…

    > I have 4 levels above me, hiding under a table
    > wasn't going to do shit to save me [...]  food
    > has fallen off all the shelves,
The advice to hide under tables isn't meant to save you from the entire building collapsing, but from injuries sustained from stuff falling off shelves & the non-structural parts of your roof collapsing.

Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

#47

Anyone know of a group or website which is tracking the incidence and intensity of earthquakes over time?

http://quakes.globalincidentmap.com/

I'm more looking for a study that tracks an increase or decrease in their intensity and magnitude over time. I would need to scientifically study and analyze the data at the link you kindly shared in order to see that.

Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor

#48

I'm from Christchurch, contacted family there. There's been mass evacuations from the coastline. Tsunami's have started but they can last for hours. Kaikoura has already had a a surge measured 2.5m, if this is the case the waves will get worse before they get better. But NZ is pretty prepared for these things, so hopefully everyone scampers to the safe distance from the coastline. I worry about the Chatham Islands, t…

No, that 2.5m high one was the worst of the waves. http://images.geonet.org.nz/tsunami/plots/latest/detide.png It was most likely caused by a movement of sediment into the Hikurangi Trough.

That would make a lot of sense. Civil defence must be being pessimistic in there predictions, as you should be. It's better to be away from a coastline if there might be a tsunami and there isn't, then the other way way around.
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