Timely reminder

At 4:37am this morning, there was a 7.1 earthquake off the northeast coast of the North Island. The quake was relatively far away from the North Island, which meant there were no reports of injury or damage, however, it was also relatively shallow and sparked tsunami warnings for parts of the South Island and the Northern and Northeastern coasts of the North Island. All warnings were cancelled by 8:30am. Obviously we're fine, or I wouldn't be blogging at all.

We never felt a thing at our house, partly because of the distance, but mainly because it was 4:37am and we were asleep. The epicentre was a long way from Auckland, and we were unlikely to feel much if we had been awake.

In general, the coastal areas of Auckland are vulnerable to tsunami, however, our house is on high ground so, for us, the main danger is dealing with the disruption in essential services—water, sewerage, electricity. This assumes we’re home when a tsunami hits, of course, but there’s generally a fair bit of warning for us to get home or to higher ground if we’re not home. Family and friends around the country are at various other risk levels, and making contact after a disaster would be a problem.

Events like this, while not a direct threat to most New Zealanders, serve as a timely reminder to double check our emergency supplies, and to “Get Ready – Get Thru”. All of us, wherever we live, are at risk of natural disaster, though the specifics vary from place to place. For example, our risks include earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis that other areas may not face, but Similarly, in Auckland, we’re not at risk from blizzards. The important thing is for everyone to maintain emergency supplies relevant to the real risks they face, no matter where they live or what those risks might be.

Some day, our luck may run out, and we’ll fare better if we’re prepared for disaster. If that never happens, at least we’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing we’re prepared.

“Get Ready – Get Thru”

Our Internet connection has been down for the past three days due to a fault in the phone lines they’re currently trying to find and repair. When our connection is restored, I’ll add relevant links.