Massive earthquake hits Gizzy, NZ!

[cuz]

Just got off the phone to my Dad in my old home town of Gisborne, New Zealand. At about 9:45 local time a quake measuring 6.8 hit and its centre was just 50km off the coast!!
Lots of mess from smashed glasses and ornaments but there are reports of structural damage to buildings on the main town. He also said that half the water flew out of his fish tank and landed 3 feet away on the dining room table and the solid man-hole on his 10,000 litre water tank was lifted clean out and dumped on the ground!!

6.8 is a massive quake, I've been in a few but one that big must've been scary!

Reports coming thru on sky news now....

[boss-290]

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As Reported in the Herald Sun



A STRONG earthquake rattled the east coast of New Zealand's North Island today, causing some power outages and minor damage but no casualties.

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said the tremor, measured 6.8 on the Richter Scale.

The institute said it was centred about 50km off the coast, south east of the provincial city of Gisborne.

The US Geological Survey said on its Web site the quake measured 6.6 magnitude and its epicentre was 68km under the sea floor.

The quake was felt widely along the east coast of the North Island including in the capital Wellington, which is around 400km southwest of Gisborne.

There were initial reports of power being cut and objects shaken off shelves, but no major damage nor any injuries.

New Zealand scientists record around 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which around 20 top 5.0 on the Richter scale.

The last fatal earthquake in the geologically active country, caught between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, was in 1968 when an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale killed three people on the South Island's West Coast.
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Cool Stuff

[XR8putts]

Could've been alot worse, no deaths have been reported on the news which is great news.

Hopefuly Insurance will sort your dad's losses out and everyone else in Gis-Vegas.

[Geoff EL 4.0]

ok ok who started up a Ford big block 460! That would set that off on idle hahaha

[The Stylist]

Yes it was pretty strong, even worse if the location of the quake had been shallower and on land. Pictures I have seen so far show some significant damage up that way.

[cuz]

Originally Posted by puts99

Could've been alot worse, no deaths have been reported on the news which is great news.

Hopefuly Insurance will sort your dad's losses out and everyone else in Gis-Vegas.

Thanks putts, its mostly just ornamental stuff and a few glasses and plates.
The main dramas in the centre of vegas where I think the old Arthur toys building has given up the ghost, as well as a couple of others.

Just got a update from Dad.... seems a good friend of Dads Mums passed away. She was getting on and her heart couldn't keep up during the quake.

[andrewts]

I heard earlier that there were 11 injuries and 1 death on the news, I give my condolences to your Dad's friend's mother's family and hope the recovery process is easy for those involved.

[Sloth]

I'm waiting for the 6:00 news to see more, last night details were very patchy and inconsistent which is understandable but as details have come in it seems to have been quite damaging.

We were in the living room watching TV when it happened, my Mum said thats an earthquake! (We are 200km from Gisborne) I was like, WTF is she talking about? Then she pointed to the decorations still shaking around on the Christmas tree after it stopped. I didn't feel a thing, lol.

[XRTickfordNZ]

Felt it here in CHCH

[Sloth]

Originally Posted by xafordgod

Felt it here in CHCH

I heard that you guys felt it down south, Dunedin too apparently. That's nuts.

[Fev]

wonder where it started. any tsunami's? :P

[cuz]

Heres some pics that Dad sent me.












The house pictured is being built by twin brothers who were Dads old apprentices. The house already had massive, overkilled foundations due to the weak nature of the land. Its now been wait to be condemned (in Dads opinion!) and will be bulldosed in the new year.
You can't see in the photos but apparaently the ground has lifted at the rear of the house and the last third of the concrete slab is now got a ramp like appearance and has lifted up around 300mm!
The angle brace that is 'spaghettied' in the third pic, was nailed to the wall with 3" bullet head nails in every stud.
For more info on this house and other pics of the aftermath click here

[Sloth]

Ouch, what a shame.