Earlier quoted context omitted.
People are dead and trapped under collapsed buildings in Kaikora and this is what upsets you?
I'd love to know the justification for down voting this comment.
I too...
New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
121–130 of 163 posts
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's surfer slang, elements of which have made their way into a lot of the English spoken in NZ, Oz and SA.
I don't think it comes from surfing. It's British (probably Commonwealth) English for serious or important. See usage 6: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/heavy (unfortunately, no dates given on the quotes). This lists the usage meaning "severe" as from 1849: http://historicalthesaurus.arts.gla.ac.uk/category/?id=15861...
Surfer here from Australia, "heavy" is very common surfer slang used to describe something "serious" or "unpleasant".
It comes from the idea of a "heavy wipe-out", which can quite easily occur while surfing "waves of consequence". Generally good, hollow, barrelling waves contain more water volume and energy, when they break they look and feel "heavier" and while being better rides, have more potential to injure a surfer. The slang has indeed made it's way into everyday usages in NZ and Oz and Hawaii, I guess California also.
I believe the original poster is describing a serious or unpleasant situation, which seems to be the case.
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#123Currently 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…
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.)
You get the same thing if the Fire Department uses the hydrants, for real or just to test the system.
The usual advice is to boil the water if there is any doubt. For sediment, a coffee filter first wouldn't be a terrible idea.
Edit to add: immediately after an event, if you have a tank water heater, the water in the tank was already there. If you shut off the intake valve and turn off the heater, you have enough drinking water to last for a couple of weeks. Assuming you can get a container under the drain valve on the side. Triple check you have turned off the furnace before draining any significant amount water!
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#124Had to laugh, consoled my daughter on the phone from here in the South Island last night and said "See, trumps been in 3 days now and the world hasnt ended yet" and at midnight it sure felt like it had!
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
Huh? Miramar is a steep hilly peninsular. Are you talking about Rongotai?
The flat bit in the middle that is most of the Miramar suburb is seabed (and later swamp) that has been uplifted by large earthquakes over time.
TIL. Born and raised in Wellington city and never knew that.
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#126I'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…
Isn't Christchurch still finishing the rebuild from the last big quake?
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#127Anyone know what the lights were about? http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/strange-lights-during-earthq... or is it a hoax. I'm in Palmerston North a long way away, but that was the biggest quake I've felt.
link to video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hIQaJg3lVM
News report and another video:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/86420960/earthquake-strange-gl...
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#128Anyone know what the lights were about? http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/strange-lights-during-earthq... or is it a hoax. I'm in Palmerston North a long way away, but that was the biggest quake I've felt.
My curtain fell down, and I saw some impressive green flashes across wellington harbour, near Seaview.
General consensus is something to do with the power grid.
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#129Currently 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…
You're 500km north of epicentre and felt that. Im 150km south of epicentre and felt nothing.
We even felt it up in Auckland. It woke my partner and I up and made the building creak and flex a bit.
Re: New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor
#130Currently 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…
Given what ChCh went through, I really hope Wellington takes quake-proofing its more risk-prone buildings seriously. I say that every time an earthquake causes damage there, but still the building owners ask for more time and the council gives it.
A lot more buildings in Wellington are on isolaters. Parliament was retrofitted with them (huge saws cut through the concrete foundation where they were then installed). TePapa has a thing outside the museum where you can go down and see some of them.