At 4.37AM this morning, people in Dunedin were shaken out of sleep by earth tremors. An earthquake had just struck Christchurch, its epicentre the small harbour-side town of Lyttleton, 30kms South of the city. (Dunedin is 320km - 200 miles - South of Christchurch.) The quake was shallow - just 10kms deep - which is apparently an extra concern. Tsunamis are possible 100km North and South along the coast. All I know at this stage is that the people I've been able to make contact with are safe. Large parts of Christchurch are without power, sewerage, phone lines and/or running water... Please say your prayers (or your versions of prayers) for those being affected in this very moment. Thank you. And take care all. Take best care. xx
Web Update - There's been extensive damage to buildings, but - thankfully, thankfully - few reports of serious injury and no loss of life.
Prayers for all...that is very, very strong, 7.2. As a native Californian, they still terrify. You never know when the shaking will stop.
ReplyDeleteDear Marylinn - thank you for putting a hand out. Yes, 7.2 is strong. We are so unprepared in this life of ours for disruption, for shocks and aftershocks? I will be ever so relieved to hear from friends in Christchurch, to know that they're okay. xx
ReplyDeleteso scary; thoughts and concern are with you, all the lovely NZ friends. so far away, and yet close.
ReplyDeletexo
susan
Your thoughts and concern mean a lot, dear Susan. Yes, so far and yet so close. Thank you for this. What reassurances this opens up in times of uncertainty - another kind of presence. x
ReplyDeleteCandles burning here, dear Claire, for friends in Christchurch and thereabouts. Mother Earth can terrify. We're waiting in New England for the serpent's tail of a hurricane, but it will not be serious. We'll all be with you as best we can, at such a great distance. L.xM
ReplyDeleteHoping all will come through safely in New Zealand and find firm footing!
ReplyDeleteWe've been braced and battened down for high winds here in New England. Latest reports: Hurricane Earl will weaken and blow out to sea.
Be well,
Mim
Dear Mim - bracing is what we need, and firm footing; you there and us, here. Thank you for your well wishes. I offer mine to you, too. And may Hurricane Earl head a long ways offshore and think better of letting off steam. "If in doubt", I'd like to say to the wind, "please, do no harm?"
ReplyDeleteDear Melissa, thank you for your candles and your strong support for our affected community. I do hope the 'serpent's tail' slides away from occupied coastlines and sinks quietly, uneventfully into the sea (the sea will be able to handle it?). Our continents are ever more closely woven together.
ReplyDeleteThoughts make powerful thread.
Take care over in Winthrop.
Love, C x
My thoughts are with all my friends in New Zealand, especially those in the south of the South Island. It must be so frightening to experience and then so worrying for everyone else. I've been watching TV since 5.30 this morning and I'm shocked by the damage. XO
ReplyDeleteOur home is absolutely undamaged, but parts of Christchurch are not so lucky - apparently the underlying soil structure is very variable so damage is uneven. I'm being a good citizen and not going out to see for myself, but watching it on TV instead (now that our power is back on).
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly dramatic when it happened and we are still getting frequent aftershocks
Dear Carol, I have no doubt the thoughts you are sending loved ones in Chch will be helping. Speaking to friends there this morning, the night was calm - they are still experiencing aftershocks and these are predicted to continue for some time, but the community's been drawn together in amazing ways...
ReplyDeleteHad the quake struck during normal work hours, the outcome would have been vastly different... the fact just about everyone was home and asleep when it happened is nothing short of a miracle.
Love to you in Wamberel, Carol.
Claire
Dear Catherine - it's very good to hear from you and to know that you are safe and your home, undamaged. The air will feel different today, I'm sure. I felt it from down here, couldn't settle into anything 'task' oriented yesterday, found I needed to spend the daylight hours out in the garden, in direct contact with the Earth.It seems to me she needs lots of love right now. Take good care up there. And let us know how you are...
ReplyDeleteLove, Claire
Claire,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your loved ones are safe. There is nothing worse than not knowing.
Dear Rachel, yes - not knowing (in any circumstance?) is not a happy place. It really is a miracle that no one has been hurt, that everyone was home and in their nests, their beds, with their loved one when the earth shuddered. I do sense she - the Earth - needs us to be loving her right now, rather than reprimanding her. My prompt in the hours following the quake was to go into my garden to dig, plant, talk to her, think in terms of balm and healing... Love to you, RachvB. Thanks for being so attuned. xx
ReplyDeleteClaire, my prayers go for you and yours and all people of Christchurch.I know what a big earthquake means, and the terror of not knowing of our loved ones. Hope it all go well considering the situation.
ReplyDeleteDear Ivette - Ice Cantata - welcome... thank you for your kind words and for sending them all the way from Chile. It was wonderful to receive your email yesterday... thank you! I will reply to you very soon. Love Claire
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