Heritage Buildings
Figure 1. Montreal and Kilmore. Figure 2. Montreal and Peterborough. Following the 4 September 2010 earthquake, this heritage building had been braced, but it collapsed on 22 February 2011. Figure 3. Wocester and Montreal. Figure 4. Wocester and Montreal. Learning from Earthquakes: […]
Indicator Buildings
The aftershock sequence has contained about 40 events greater than 4.0 and 12 events greater than 4.5 since 22 February. Most of these aftershocks occured at a depth of 2-5 km and within 10 km of the central business district. In order to quickly assess the need for re-inspections, the EOC identified a sample of […]
Building Safety Evaluation
Read the Report: Building Safety Evaluation in a State of Emergency: Guidelines for Territorial Authorities (1.1 MB PDF) The meaning of the red, green, and yellow placards required explanation for some building owners, tenants, and residents. The Christchurch City Council provided extensive information on their earthquake recovery website regarding what the placards mean, and do not mean. Perhaps a lesson from […]
“Grief is the Price We Pay for Love”: The National Christchurch Memorial Service
People began flowing into the park early in the day. As families and friends spread out blankets and cushions to sit on, various local musicians and Maori artists performed musical tributes. Salvation Army and National Welfare volunteers roamed the crowd, handing out tissues in preparation for what everyone knew would be a solemn and tearful […]
A Break in the Wake of the Quake: Family Fun Day
Heather, with the support of her home church in Spreydon, organized a series of “Family Fun Days” in three affected neighborhoods around Christchurch. These events offered families a “break from the quake.” Affected individuals were invited to eat, socialize, and share their earthquake experiences. A drawing table was set up for children (and young-at-heart adults) […]
Researcher Meeting
Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. Figure 7. Figure 8. Learning from Earthquakes: First person reports
Calling on Social Scientists to Inform Recovery Decisions
David shared the questions that are being asked of social scientists. Relevant observations and lessons learned are invited from the international research community regarding: Internal migration is the biggest ever in New Zealand since the first settlers arrived. Who and why did residents leave Christchurch after the February 22nd earthquake? How many migrants will return? […]
Post-quake Inspections Mislead Building Occupants in Christchurch
The following magnitude 6.1 earthquake in February 2011 caused the building to collapse and resulted in the deaths of 115 people. An earthquake reconnaissance team inspected the building after the earthquake and marked it with a green sticker. They were using the rapid assessment system which originated in California and has been commonly used since […]
EERI Reconnaissance Team Press Release
Reconnaissance Blog Entries on Tsunami Damage
Read the Blog: Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group