lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Another big one -- 6.9 You should see the traffic jam. Believe it or not, I did not even know there had been an earthquake; my home is that secure. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Another big one -- 6.9 You should see the traffic jam. Believe it or not, I did not even know there had been an earthquake; my home is that secure. Ruth in NZ Yikes, stay safe. Can I ask why they evacuated the city? Did it cause fires or something? (I'm in Los Angeles, so just curious to this part). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Sorry to hear that. What a horrible day for everyone. I hope everyone is ok. Why are they evacuating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Many of the buildings need to be evaluated by engineers, so I think they just want everyone OUT so they can get started. Plus, we have had >10 aftershocks greater than 5.8 I have not heard that many sirens. My husband was on the 4th floor and he told me he thought the whole building was going to come down. It started by swaying back and forth, but then started to gyrate in a circle. He was under a table holding on to the leg. I've heard similar stories from all my office worker friends that got home around 3. We are in the inner city, so all of them walk or cycle, and are not still sitting in the traffic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Oh wow. I'm so glad you and your family are okay... and yes, sounds like you have a nice, soundly built house. Stay safe!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 When I say "city", I did mean the Central Business District, about a 2 square mile area -- not the suburbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquakiwi Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Nw Zealand is really having a run of earthquakes in the Wellington and top of the South Island area! It's been going on for months now. Pleased you and all your family are okay. I hope everyone manages to get home tonight, since I hear all the trains have stopped. Hopefully they will get it all back to normal again by Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Many of the buildings need to be evaluated by engineers, so I think they just want everyone OUT so they can get started. Plus, we have had >10 aftershocks greater than 5.8That is standard operating protocol/procedure. Buildings have to be evaluated before people are allowed back in. Singapore's east coast and financial district can shake due to Indonesia's earthquakes.Glad your family is unaffected and safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Ok, thanks for the clarification. I was picturing an entire city evacuating. Please stay safe! I'm glad your husband is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Wellington is a very centralized city, so that most people commute into town to work. So you are looking at an evacuation of around 100,000 people from a 2sq mile area in a city of 400,000; and all at the exact same moment so not like an hurricane where people typically have at least a day notice. So the roads just can't handle it; and the trains are down. Unfortunately, the earthquake happened 10 minutes before school let out, so all the school traffic was in progress. We are now at 2 full hours, and the cars are not moving - *at all*. (I'm on a hill overlooking the CBD). My friend has just rung to say she is abandoning her car and walking home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Glad you are safe Ruth! How is your home constructed to not feel a quake that high? I was raised in California with earthquakes, we even felt the small ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (((Ruth))), hope everyone stays safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 I live in a block of 7 flats that was built in 1939, right after the Napier earthquake that destroyed the city. They re-did the plans, and built it to the new earthquake code of the era. My home is *solid* concrete (as in NOT concrete block with air spaces) with a cage of reinforcing steel rods inside. This is true for the interior walls also - so just imagine how hard it is to hang a picture. In addition, we are on bedrock. We have also been working to strengthen the building by wrapping the pillars in fiberglass and then replastering over. This construction is very good for smaller earthquakes but in larger earth quakes rigid is bad and flexible is good. So if we get an 8, we are sunk. My home is an Art Deco building that is painted PINK to match the color scheme of the era. If you ever come to Wellington you can see us on the hill (now I have probably told you too much information!) Ok, way way bigger earthquake just hit. off to find out how big. I *felt* that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Off to have a wine in a risky *wooden* house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Stay safe! I think it was 5.7 if what I watched was correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 News link, luckily no tsunamis http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10913399 http://www.smh.com.au/environment/strong-quakes-shake-new-zealand-20130816-2s125.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 It has been nasty here too. A number of buildings are closed. I was really glad our decrepit 1970's 3 storey building was just reinforced - yay for the new CEO. Okay we were a way from the centre but it still felt less scary than it used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I was raised in California with earthquakes, we even felt the small ones!It has to do with the resonance frequency of the earthquake. If the frequency is very close to the building's natural frequency, the damage is severe. I've only felt one earthquake here so far which was a 5.4 Alum Rock one.Link to a simple explanation http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/reference_services/EQaffectBuilding.asp ETA: This explanation is clearer http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/retm/tm_100112_haiti/BuildingsInEQs_2.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 My home is an Art Deco building that is painted PINK to match the color scheme of the era. If you ever come to Wellington you can see us on the hill (now I have probably told you too much information!) Ok, way way bigger earthquake just hit. off to find out how big. I *felt* that one. I am so stalking you if I ever make it to Wellington! (I'm in Aus.). :D Kidding. But I will look for the pink building and think about you! Glad you are safe, hope our other NZ WTM'ers are too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Oh dear...hope everyone continues to be safe! Thinking of you guys over there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 glad to hear you are ok. I felt it way down here (in Christchurch) - it didn't feel like one of 'ours" so I immediately jumped online to see if it was you guys. Scary stuff.. so glad to see people are ok / nothing's come down. Keep safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Hope you're still safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I am getting really sick of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 :grouphug: :grouphug: Stay safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 :grouphug: I hope you all are safe, along with all NZers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 16, 2013 Author Share Posted August 16, 2013 Thanks for all the well wishes. Everything has calmed down. The city is empty and q.u.i.e.t -- no hum. It is a bit eery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 latest news report we have heard here is that there were no deaths and only minor injuries when people banged their heads on their desks in their rush to hop under them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 glad you are safe! I'm a earthquake geek and I've noticed an uptick of activity in the Pac..Rim area for the last few weeks... then in quieted down to "normal" (whatever that really is) last week. I hope the worst is behind you, but glad the city is playing it safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Oh man :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Glad everyone is ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Just hearing about this. Glad you guys are safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Hope all NZers are safe & have a safe place to be. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 There have been so many stories from everyone today. All of my friends who work in the skyscrapers were really scared. The buildings are allowed to sway, as I said before flexibility is good. But it *is* scary. Apparently the noise of the movement of the building is what really freaked people out. And most people experienced this one as much more severe than the last one a month ago. That one was on a Sunday so everyone was at home. I forgot to mention earlier that Wellington is on a peninsula, so there is only 1 motorway leading out of town - and it is only 3 lanes going out. Besides that there are only 2 other roads *total* that leave the city and each are narrow 2-lane winding roads. It is a real problem. Wellington CBD is surrounded by water and mountains. This is why there was such gridlock. So a few interesting things happened during the evacuation: Apparently, the police started stopping cars and asking drivers to load up with the stranded train commuters!! :huh: Lots of people decided to walk home along the motorway that runs next to the harbour for 10 miles. Lots of people decided to pass on the gridlock and head to the pubs, which would explain all the activity down in my part of town. It was rocking! Strangely, there was even gridlock coming into town, as many people called their family and friends to come in a pick them up! 3.5 hours later the traffic on my side road was backed up 8 blocks waiting to get onto a more major street. Glad me and mine can walk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Glad to know you are safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (((Ruth))) How awful! When things settle down, I'd love to hear more about your house! We built a house and I still am fascinated by construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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