Saturday, January 21, 2012
We have all probably read about major earthquakes in many parts of the world. We may have seen the videos or watched movies depicting them. Some of us may have experienced them first hand. They strike with little warning, wreak havoc, and the world moves on. There are after effects, aftershocks and some send tsunamis across miles of water creating more devastation.
Some of that happened here in Christchurch, New Zealand back on February 22, 2011. There had been warnings and smaller quakes in the year before, but the big 8.3 quake hit on that afternoon and left 182 people dead. There was destruction and disruption for all who live in this town of several hundred thousand, the largest city on the South Island, and the Garden City of New Zealand.
Today, nearly a year later, the recovery continues. The receptionist at our motel told us about the "demolition zone" we would find downtown and the chain link fence that keeps people out of the central business district, which was the center of the quake. We drove to the area out of curiosity and came away touched with the power of natural forces created by an Almighty Creator. Many of the buildings have been torn down and many more will be removed in the months to come. It looks like it will be a long time before normalcy is restored. It is hard to imagine how many people, businesses and other organizations have been relocated, disrupted or simply eliminated.
The photos we took don't tell the whole story, but they give an idea of what happens to people in these kind of events. These are people just like us, whose whole existence has now changed. Life is a precious thing. We are blessed to live our lives in pretty normal circumstances. I thank God for that privilege. My prayers are with these people whom I don't know, but who face some difficult times in a most beautiful corner of the world.
 |
| The central business district is about 100 blocks square |
 |
| Some buildings were not built to withstand quakes |
 |
| There was a hotel in this location. |
 |
| The skeleton seems secure but there's lots of damage. |
 |
| No more Hotel Latimer |
 |
| These guys are survivors! |
 |
| Notice the split in the building! |
 |
| This looks like a new tower for a church building. |
you are right in saying that everyone was affected who lived in Christchurch.;.; we have good friends there who wrote that their home and the homes of both of their children were demolished...but they were thankful their lives were spared...but they sent no pictures so appreciated yours..thanks. vicki
ReplyDelete