Kiwi's please check in!

[cywelchjr]

“I prefer to leave that to men much younger than my 54 years, much more skilled than me, far fitter, and with equipment to do the job.”

Thanks for the clarification, Sub. Being 65, 120 Lbs. dripping wet and somewhat disabled myself I fully understand letting younger and mobetta trained lads do the rubble digging.

“I was in Santa Rosa Ca in 89 when the big one hit SF...” Quote cywelchjr

I take it you are referring to the Loma Prieta quake of '89. I experienced this quake as I was living in Santa Cruz at the time This was much closer to the epicenter than San Francisco, and folks down here tend to take um-bridge at having it referred to as the “San Francisco Quake.” Some wag who had had his house knocked off it's foundation near the epicenter posted a hand made sign next to the fissure that said “It's our fault.” But I digress.

The Loma Prieta quake was a love tap compared to what our brothers and sisters in Christchurch have been through. Santa Cruz had only one fatality: a young lady was buried under a pile of bricks in down town Santa Cruz. I was remembering the scene of every able bodied man and woman pitching in to dig through the rubble to try and dig her out. I must say the emergency response in this event was sorely lacking, and I am happy to hear that my fellow citizens are able to help in your hour of need. I hope I never have to live through what you are experiencing now.
Special Ed

I understand much of this, including where the quake in 89 was centered. That said, the major damage was in the SF and Oakland areas, including many pancaked buildings and a pancaked section of freeway in which I have friends who had friends who died in there.

One friend was in a multi story brick building where the wall collapsed, and the floor sagged towards the missing wall, and he only stayed alive by hanging on to the carpet with his fingernails, as sliding out to his death was his worst nightmare. Of course he no longer lives in SF, or at least didn't last I had contact with him.

SF was hit as hard as it was for much the same reason Christchurch appears to have been, liquification of the soil, one because it's on an old riverbed, and the other because much of the city is built on fill. Tests have shown this to multiply the force of the quake, and it may well have been like a hard sideways jerk like the loma prieta quake, I remember to this day the sharp sideways motion even as far north as Santa Rosa.

[b.walker5]

Just heard on the news that a group of Mexican rescue workers paid their own way to Christchurch to help dig. The international response to this is absolutely incredible and somewhat humbling.

[Special Ed]

"SF was hit as hard as it was for much the same reason Christchurch appears to have been, liquification of the soil, one because it's on an old riverbed, and the other because much of the city is built on fill. Tests have shown this to multiply the force of the quake, and it may well have been like a hard sideways jerk like the loma prieta quake, I remember to this day the sharp sideways motion even as far north as Santa Rosa."

Which only goes to show "What you see depends on where you stand." I don't mean to demean anyone's life experience. I'll shut up now.
Special Ed