a report from a persons view of the quake
5 months 3 weeks and 3 days ago on September 4th, 2010 Canterbury had a major earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the richter scale, which struck at 4.35am. Many people were asleep, others were at work or at home. It was violent, it was distructive, but there was no loss of life. Quite amazing really, considering the magnitude, and if you look at previous earthquakes around the world of the same magnitude, there has been deaths. We were lucky. The time, where it was centred. I remember part of, I was on Facebook talking to my friend Amanda Connelly, I had looked at geonet about 15 minutes prior, and looked at the 2 earthquakes that happened up in the North Island the previous day (both around 3.4). So when it struck, I was just thinking oh just a 3 point something like the North Island, but it continued to shake and get violent. When I realised this was the big one, I jumped out of bed, and ran into the hallway asking my mum Linda Matthews where her grand daughter and my niece was (had gone home the day before), and then I tried getting back under a door frame while trying to stay on my feet. I remember thinking, well this is it, this is what it feels like to be in a major earthquake. I cannot remember the noise, or much else. Afterwards I went outside and all I heard were car alarms and house alarms. I checked everyone was ok here, and checked on the neighbours, before I went and drove around to my Grandmas to check on her.
Over the coming hours we had numerous aftershocks some in the magnitude range of 5.0-5.6. Daylight came and the true extent of the damage was made clear, houses damaged, buildings damaged, cracks everywhere and the word liquefaction that now is a very well known word. September 8 2010 at 7.49 am a magnitude 5.0 strikes Christchurch, sending everyone out of buildings and panicing everyone all over again. This aftershock I was at work, upstairs in the Staffroom, and it felt like the floor dropped a metre or 2. Feeling on edge like most people, we evacuted the building, making sure everyone was out of the staffroom before I left. To go outside, and see people crying, it doesn't feel nice. After getting txts from family and friends knowing that they were ok, I felt better. Once we were allowed back inside, the cleanup started. Not much fell from the shelfs, but the Beer & Wine department suffered.
Over the next couple of months the aftershocks continued, people were getting use to them, and being complacent.
Sure we had some big aftershocks, but come Boxing Day 2010 we had a few 4's early in the morning, and then a 3.8 at 8.03am. After checking everyone was ok, family and friends, my mothers partner Dennis Yow gave me a ring on my cellphone. I ended up telling him that I didn't like what was going on, and I felt that we were due for another big aftershock, in the next 24 hours. At 10.30am, it came without warning, a 4.9. I had only just gone out to buy a drink and something to eat to take back to the storeroom with me, and I was at Michaela Russels checkout. As things started to rattle, I watched as drinks fell off the shelf, Health & Beauty things fall off the shelf, and some products come off our displays, I remember hearing all the smashing glass in Beer & Wine, and thinking to myself oh hell there goes a big cleanup. After the aftershock, we did not evacute, and went straight into cleaning mode, after checking that my family and friends were ok. It took 20 of us to clean up everything just under 2 hours. Everyone was on edge, and with aftershock people were just shouting out and getting annoyed.
So come January, people were getting back to normal again, and not being on edge so much. We would feel some aftershocks, but not many. I had said to Mum and Dennis about another big aftershock was coming up around 17th-19th January 2011, and had said that on 14th January 2011. Come 20th January 2011 we ended up having a 5.1 at 6.03am, and a 4.0 at 8.06am. So again people are on edge, I'm getting sick of them, but know that they will continue. Christchurch will rebuild, we will get better. Minus road closures, buildings being demolished, buildings being strengthened, everyone was just getting back to normal, getting into a rountine again.
Along comes me, to tell Mum and Dennis that between 18th - 22nd February 2011 there will be another big aftershock. Why? I don't know, I just had this feeling. 21st February 2011 and nothing, but I say to Mum becareful tommorrow, it;s going to happen, and I walk around the house thinking we need to stock up on gas, water, candles, canned food, matches, batteries etc, but I never told anyone as I didn't want to upset people, or sound like an idiot. Lying in bed during the early hours of 22nd February 2011 I thought 'd felt a couple of aftershocks, but nothing came up on geonet or anything else. Getting to work, I was half hour late (I'd been working 3 weeks without a day off), and the other storeman is unloading the trucks, so I just tidy up. The other storeman went home sick half hour later, so I was left by myself to try get everything done. In the end I had some people out in the storeroom helping tidy up, and to cover my break. The storeroom looked good. I had completely forgotten about the date, and was just going about my duties.
12.50pm 22 February 2011, I had just finished unloading a truck and was signing the drivers manifest, and then bang! Everything starts shaking, rocking, rolling. I hold on to the drivers door, and as the shaking continues to get more violent I use both hands to hold on as I was just about falling over. I watched our chip pallets start falling off the racking and was thinking ok this is a big one, i'll just stay here, and then the storeroom roof gave me a few metres in front of me, and I told the driver (and excuse the language) fuck this! Lets get out of here!. So as we were running in the opposite direction (towards the entrance of the storeroom) I was thinking oh god, don't let me get trapped in here. As I ran out the entrance I just about got sconed on the head by falling debris. After looking around, I had a feeling it was bad, having liquefaction (yes that word again!) in the car park and on the road. Seeing the bridge by our work having cracks in the pilars, and the damage I had seen in the storeroom. I remembered that I had left the forklift running, so I ran back in and turned it off thinking that it could be a hazard. After running back out (and leaving my phone on the forklift) I had gotton another staff member to look after that side of the storeroom, I ran aorund the block to the otherside of the storeroom, and saw even more damage. The car park ramp had given up, the car park across the road (3 levels) had collasped leaving it a 1.5 layer car park, and was thinking oh my god, I hope no one is in there. After looking around, I saw someone on the top level and was asking him Are you ok? Is there anyone trapped? How many people are there with you? Are they all ok? Stay away from the edge, I'll see if I can get some help, we have tried the fire service, but can't get through. After leaving him, and getting another person (ended up being the Smiths City Fire Warden) to make sure no one entered the storeroom and stayed well away from the car park and did not go under it, I ran back around to our car park, only to find we had people trapped in the building above our storeroom. Myself and the driver of the truck that was left in our storeroom ran back into the storeroom to get the truck and forklift. No time to piss around I put my foot down and ignored all the glass while i drove over it. The driver moved the truck so it was 3/4 out of the storeroom as a base for the people trapped to to slide onto. Using the forklift and a pallet, we lifted them onto the top of the truck, and smashed the building window where there were people trapped. As the trapped people were slowly getting out of window and sliding the little way to the truck, we were taking 2 people per trip on the pallet down. They looked very distraught, and I felt for them, but adrenalin had kicked in and I was focused on getting the trapped people out. We had the Boss of the building barking orders trying to tell people to stop pissing around and get up there, so I ended up telling him Oi! Just calm down, they are going as quick as they can (referring to people with the scissor lift), if the people up there are as paniced as you say, and they see you down here panicing and carrying on, they are just going to panic more, so calm down and let us do what we have to please. After saying sorry, and explaining it is his staff, and he knew what I was saying, he calmed down, and was very thankful. After rescueing about 12 people from the 2nd level, there were more people in the top level, so we needed to get the bigger scissor lift from across the road. I have never seen a bigger cheer go up in a supermarket or anywhere once the people trapped inside had smashed the window. And then the clapping and cheering when everyone had been rescued. It was an amazing feeling.
Then I started looking around. I saw the damage to the building. The liquefaction, everyone standing around, looking, stunned, crying, in a daze. All the cars, Moorhouse Ave was jammed packed. I ended up just wandering around, seeing if my friends are ok, trying to txt family to see if they are ok, and my battery was going flat.
Ii was quite shocked to see friends on facebook quite concerned about me. And the txts I was getting. By 2.45pm, I had decided to try drive home. It took me a hour to get about 150 metres, so I decided to walk. Plently of strong aftershocks while felt, and I saw the fear in peoples faces. I had news that there were bodies in Cashel Mall, and some on some buses. I felt sick. I continued walking down Moorhouse Ave, and turned into Fitzgerald Ave and liquefaction was everywhere. The bridge on Fitzgerald Ave and Kilmore St and Avonside Drive intersection looked a mess, could still walk over it, but not drive. As I continued walking, Fitzgerald Ave looked like a right mess, big gaping holes and gaps, road raised or sunken, I was just in shock. I kept walking, and met a few people on the way, nice to chat with someone. Ended up walking through liquefaction which came upto my knees. Continuing aftershocks didn't help matters. I finally had one of my phone calls go through to my mum, so I could get someone to pick me up.
When I get home, I see the damage down all around our street, but not in it. The house is ok, everything inside is out on the floor, my tv is broken. But my family are alive, I feel grateful. No power, water, sewage. We do have a radio, torches, gas, candles and have a bbq on Tuesday Night. We all ended up staying at my auntys for 2-3 nights, which we are all grateful for. 12 people in a 3 bedroom home, stressful!! My brother, sister in law, and their daughter (My niece) are still staying there, as they still have no power, sewage or water, but I might be wrong in that. Their flat is looking like a bomb site inside, some cracks inside the house. Grateful to be alive.
So here we on Monday Night 28 February 2011. Work is open, only allowed 400 people inside at a time. Right by a corden, so we got the army and the police close on hand.
Physcially I am fine, emotionally, I'm not so much, I am still stressed, very much so, all this help with have received, all over the world, the death toll, the damage. I am lucky to be here, right place right time I guess.
Everything is just surreal, I cannot believe that in one day, I ran for my life, then went into an unstable storeroom risking my life, to save others, rescuing people, and walking through water and silt, just so unbelievable.
To everyone in Christchurch and Canterbury, to those affected, to the loved ones of the deceased, the resucers, firefighters, usar, army, police, council, helicopter pilots, st johns, and everyone else whom has been involved, thank you so much, Kia Kaha.
Added 1st March 2011 - There is alot more I could say, but it is currently all jumbled in my head. If I write more, I will make a new note, so everyone can read it
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150113444289106
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