Earthquaking

Reminds me of when we had a small quake sometime last year, I was at work and a lady came out and was very anxious and panicked. 

She wanted to know what I was going to do and what our procedure was if there was another one. Its really hard to make "take cover, ride it out, assess the situation, then check on everybody" sound reassuring. She didnt seem to think that was good enough but I don't know what she wanted me to say short of 'we press a magic button and the cinema floats away harmlessly into the night sky'. 

It didnt help that her husband was full on yelling at her to stop being stupid and to go back and watch the movie. She went back in eventually, but it obviously got to her as they had left by the end of the film. 

eh??

Just what everyone needed, a big alarming headline. 

Ha really? giggles.

Unless it comes from Piney

anyone else become slightly obsessed with GeoNet or anything else showing earthquake activity?  I find myself checking it every 10 minutes or so to see what has been happening, although I am not entirely sure what I am hoping to learn from it.

We are hoping not to see it reduce to quickly as that would not be a good sign for us.

We need the stress taken out of the Wgtn fault - Sorry Seddon.

Went into the office after lunch.  No one else there, a bit of paint/plaster has fallen off and some small cracks in the ceiling. 

Outside quite a lot of broken glass from office buildings.  Very quiet in town - people wandering around but a good number of shops were closed.

Got told not to bother coming in to work at the cinema as we only have 7 booked (in the Gold Lounge) all night, and the food court is like a ghost town. Score!

After looking at the plots of all the earthquakes in the last 3 days or so on GeoNet, they line up more along the Wairarapa Fault.

Was at the movies with the kids when the 6.5 struck.  Never got to see how "Despicable Me 2" ended.  Must've missed the last 10 mins of it.  I'll have to rent it on DVD when it comes out.

Found the culprits of the damage on Featherston:

Am happy to report that a pen fell off the shelf at Smiggle Napier but is OK people!!!

I was on the toilet taking a shit when it hit .got up without wiping and hid in the hallway doorframe

What kind of door frame and building?

http://www.earthquakecountry.info/dropcoverholdon/

DO NOT stand in a doorway: An enduring earthquake image of California is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part. From this came our belief that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. True- if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe house or some older woodframe houses. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house, and the doorway does not protect you from the most likely source of injury- falling or flying objects. You also may not be able to brace yourself in the door during strong shaking. You are safer under a table.

I was just looking at this. Two quakes in China. Have a look at the magnitiudes and depths. Fascinating. How does it all work?
China's Gansu province hit by powerful earthquakes

Well, the epicenter was directly under the city. Plus their building codes are not like NZ's. Either way, very scary.

I assume you returned to the toilet & wiped after the shaking had stopped?

well you could almost say I literally crapped my pants . but no I wiped after the shaking . thanks for you concern .And no skids either

Been surprised by the reaction of people over this. I have had to oversee a fair amount of staff. Kiwi's have been more freaked out than Brits - I'm guessing it's because the Brits have not got a clue.

Vickmeist is going in to work today in a tall building on the Terrace, a bit scared but showing grit, more than I can say of others.

Any reports on the Cake Tin? It's on reclaimed land isn't it?

I parked the car in the cake tins car park - got the all clear yesterday.........for mine people in genearl are over reacting and stressing about this quakes, mind you the media hype is not helping.

Good thing only one nix game would be affected in the next 4 and a half months. 

I work with a couple of young British lasses who have only been in the country for at maximum, a year.  This was their first taste of earthquakes and it's fair to say they're terrified.

I'm pretty on edge myself but I think it's because of what happened to Christchurch and also the media hype 'if that was under the city this would happened etc'

The old  "Look on the positive side"  We take more chances crossing the road daily. 

Yeah it's actually really bad how the media are working people up. 

Though it can also be good if it gets them to prepare emergency kits etc I suppose. 

Tegal - Agree I think the coverage has been rubbish and not helpful at all at times. I also think with access to apps, twitter and Geonet people are making their own minds up about what is going on  which is a good thing as the media always wants to put a negative spin on things to make things more juicy.

Blew - This is the way I feel. I'm  more likely to kill myself on kiwi roads or buggering about in my garden than having an earthquake finish me off.

I've been thinking again and the Brits I 've  dealt with have been a little bit older, been here awhile but have been shaped by their job which is not to get freaked out by stuff. Part of the work we do is dealing with emergency situations. Also they would have been old enough to have heard stories about the Blitz etc about how you just get on with stuff - Basically working class no nonsense folk.

Not spoken to younger folk.

but it's not the risk that makes earthquakes particularly scary; it's the nature of what they are (impossible to predict, all-encompassing etc)

Don't know why people are complaining about an 'over-reaction'. Wouldn't you prefer that people are ready in case the worst does happen? No one in Chch thought it would be so bad, either.

yeah and people either get scared or not. You can't rationalize fear. Phobics usually know their fear is irrational. If it was governed purely by risk, most people wouldn't drive.