Christchurch earthquake

• Where

  Christchurch, New Zealand
• Christchurch population

  340,000
• New Zealand

  has 48th highest GDP and 4th lowest for corruption
• Plate boundary

  subduction of pacific plate under Australien plate, plates move horizontally against each other along Alpine fault, Australien plate overrides Pacific plate

  plate boundary unzipping may be occuing
• dartfield earthquake

  Sept 2010, magnitude 7.1, 40km west christchurch, depth 10m, no fatalities, 24km surface tear
• Christchurch earthquake

  Feb 2011, magnitude 6.3, technically an aftershock, 10km SE of christchurch, depth 5m, 15km surface rupture
• Social impacts

  185 died, 115 from CTV building collapse

  7000+ injured
• Economic impacts

  Estimated repairs cost £8 billion

  80% sewage and water systems destroyed

  1/2 city destroyed
• Environmental impacts

  liquefaction occured in the city centre leading to subsidence
• Preparation

  NZ has strict building codes since 1935 but these didn't take inot account the risk of liquefaction

  well developed hazard resilience programme
• Community Response

  white chair monument to those who died

  "Farmy Army" helped clean up streets after liquefaction
• Relief

  full emergency plan within 2 hours

  all survivors rescued within 24 hours

  national state of emergency declared within 5 days
• Rehabilitation

  temporary accomodation set up on the racecourse

  rescue changed to response after a week
• Reconstruction

  re-evaluated building codes

  new central library built

  assessed damage and zoned the city - 8000 homes red zoned (unlikely it could ever be built on again)
• Longer term actions: preparation

  educational campaigns

  get ready website