Chilean Earthquake

[Lesley Cox]

It happened some 14 hours ago now and news is still coming through but it appears to have been one of the biggest recorded in over a century. While we feel deeply sorry and perhaps afraid, for all Chileans, we especially think of John and Anita in Santiago which has been hit very badly. There's nothing we can do for them except hope and pray that they are safe and well. With power and phone connections down it may be some time before they are able to send news to their friends around the world.

Here in New Zealand people are being evacuated from low lying coastal areas, especially in Canterbury and near Gisborne. The tsunami waves have already started to hit the Chatham Islands and the Cooks among others. Some are said to be returning to their homes which seems premature to me as we are also warned that the biggest waves may not arrive until 12 hours after the first, small waves.

I've often thought of John and Anita as my neighburs, they close to their coast and I a mere handful of kilometres from mine, just the Pacific Ocean between us. Our house is at 300 metres above sea level and we are in no danger here even from a major tsunami which travels apparently at about 700 kms per hour but we shan't be taking the dogs for their usual weekend swim in the sea today.

[DaveM]

I'd like to echo your sentiments, Lesley in hoping that John and Anita are safe and well;  and that all the Chilean people caught up in this event will rapidly receive appropriate help and care. In the past 100 years this part of Chile has suffered a number of earthquakes of such magnitude (euphemistically termed "great" earthquakes), the 20th century's largest with magnitude 9.5 having occurred to the south of Concepcion in 1960. Let's hope too that Chilean emergency preparedness and levels of earthquake engineering are such that the death toll will not turn out to be high, even though inevitably damage to buildings, infrastructure and the economy will be. Hopefully too, the tsunami warnings will be heeded by folk in prone areas such as Hawaii, Japan and indeed New Zealand such that the loss of life from the tidal waves will be significantly less than that of the 1960 quake.

[Maggi Young]

Friends, Good News through from John and Anita Watson: they are both fine. No water or electricity at their home but they're not hurt. Thank goodness for that!

[Lesley Cox]

I'm so pleased to hear that Maggi.

In the event, the tsunami was a non event here, just tidal surges of around 1 metre height, rising and falling every 20 minutes or so. People have got to stage of accusing the civil defence people of "crying wolf" and many, especially in Auckland gathered on the beaches to see what might happen. OK yesterday but another time it may not be, so stupid behaviour.

[cohan]

I'm so pleased to hear that Maggi.

In the event, the tsunami was a non event here, just tidal surges of around 1 metre height, rising and falling every 20 minutes or so. People have got to stage of accusing the civil defence people of "crying wolf" and many, especially in Auckland gathered on the beaches to see what might happen. OK yesterday but another time it may not be, so stupid behaviour.

there is no talking sense to some people--if no warnings they will point fingers, if its a false alarm they'll complain about the inconvenience..