I wanted to show Leah the "new" central library, Peterborough St, `which recently opened post-quakes. I'd visited it the day after opening & Leah wanted to borrow books & DVDs for the festive season. We anticipated visiting the library before shopping at Pak 'n Save, Moorhouse Ave.
Peterborough St: Soon after our library arrival, at 1.58pm the M5.8 quake hit! Leah was near the front door looking for DVDs. She dived under a table. I was at the newspaper section furthest from the exit sliding-door.
23.12.11. Public Library, newspaper section, Peterborough St, during a quake swarm
People's reaction in the quakes: Those I could see all froze. The man next to me sat reading a paper. An Asian man stood up staring at me while I stared at him. An elderly couple at a nearby table sat frozen in their seats.
23.12.11. The Press of the day, Public Library, Peterborough St, during a quake swarm
Library jolting, adrenaline surging, I sashayed to the front-door thinking, "What if power cuts & we're trapped inside?"
Others were frozen by the sliding-door entrance & BORROW-machines. I snapped a ceiling-panel & pink-batt fallen by a table. My camera-flash galvanized others like snapping my fingers before hypnotised eyes. No-one panicked. All were shocked, standing around, or seated, dazed.
23.12.11. Man escaping Public Library, Peterborough St, after the M5.8 quake, during a quake swarm
Smiley librarians helped people at BORROW-machines. Leah looked for DVDs. A manager strode from his office looking worried & saw everyone calm, so he wandered around.
23.12.11. Fallen ceiling panel & pink batt, straight after the M5.8 quake, Public Library, Peterborough St
A big man stood frozen, smiling. It took a while for his 1 000 yard stare to dissolve. Others stayed seated on couches & at computer-tables. Only one bloke skedaddled out the front sliding-door.
23.12.11. Quake shocked public & staff, by just fallen ceiling panel, M5.8 quake, Public Library, Peterborough St
Leah & I were in the "new" central library for about eight minutes & four quakes. Later I saw only two of those quakes recorded by GeoNet, the other two would always remembered by us!
23.12.11. Quake shocked public & staff, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quake swarm, incl 2 more quakes, all within 8 minutes, Public Library, Peterborough St
An aftershock hit. I grabbed a metal RETURNS shelving which was shaking wildly. If I'd dropped for shelter the shelving would've fallen on me. A file flew off nearby. No one else left the library. It was safer inside.
23.12.11. Fallen file from shelf, Public Library, Peterborough St, after M5.8 quake & M5.3 quake swarm, incl 2 more quakes, all within 8 minutes.
2.06pm. Another quake hit, M5.3 (GeoNet) while I stood by the fiction section, snapping library computer-tables, frozen people still seated at computers, some people seated on couches, reading. An old man seated nearby asked me for a pic copy. I said: "I've already deleted it, as it came out too dark."
While Leah operated the BORROW-machine for her DVD's another quake hit! She dived under the machine. I grabbed it for support while the library shook a fourth time in eight minutes. Borrowed time1
Leah & an old lady looked for books in the fiction section, Leah standing under roof air-conditioning pipes. "Time to go!" I said. "This place is too bloody dangerous!" We left while others stayed in the library opposite the 22 February 2011 Quake ruined Convention Centre.
Post-quake boffins liked telling people what to do & what not to do in quakes: DROP COVER HOLD. When was it safe to leave a building during a quake-swarm? When does a quake-swarm end? When was a quake an aftershock? When was an aftershock a quake? Academic twaddle! We didn't stay in the library to see if it held up, or if it collapsed in a fifth quake. Whatever we did was luck. No DROP COVER HOLD for us. We skedaddled!
23.12.11. Liquefaction water, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, Packe St
23.12.11. Asking directions to Speights Ale House, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during a quake swarm, Packe St
23.12.11. Liquefaction mud oozing from a pavement, by a drain, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during a quake swarm, Packe St
Shopping out, I drove to Packe St, parking near Jake's flat in Geraldine St. Brown liquefaction-water oozed along Packe St curb, brown quakemire oozed from a footpath hole like diarrhoea!
23.12.11. Bealey Ave traffic, passing Speights Ale House, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after M5.8 & M5.3 quakes
Jake's cell phone was down, so we walked to Speights Ale House, Bealey Ave, where Jake worked. Boozers boozed on two verandahs. Two old geezers boozed at a table inside. Staff worked the bar & in the kitchen where Leah asked for Jake. No Jake, not on shift. Quake clean-up was complete: a bin-full of broken, maroon crockery by the bar.
23.12.11. Bealey Ave, Speights Ale House patrons, reasonably safe on a verandah, during a quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes
23.12.11. People safely out of Bealey Ave flats, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes
We trekked along Bealey Ave to Jake's flat. People stood outside businesses & abodes, as it was safer during quakes. We spoke to a smiley, South African couple, recent immigrants, we'd never met till then. A smiley Indian immigrant couple stood by too.
23.12.11. Geraldine St info sign, Xmas quake swarm afternoon
Geraldine St: A young couple sat on the grass verge, their baby in a pram, waiting out quakes. Walking her dog, a blonde wandered past waving her cell phone & muttering, "I need a new battery."
23.12.11. Young family on pavement, safely outside their Geraldine St home, during the first hour of the quake swarm, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes
2.14pm Jake & girlfriend were OK. At their apartment, another quake hit, M4.2. (GeoNet). The apartment shook! I picked two jasmine flowers off their garden vine & gave one each to Leah & Jake's girlfriend. Jasmine & Xmas Quake Swarm were never forgotten!
Over the next half hour, two more quakes: M4.8 & M4.4. The M4 quakes didn't bother us much, as we'd experienced many over the last 15 months. M5-M6+ quakes were dangerous. We were good at guesstimating quake magnitudes: M4 no sweat, no evasions needed. M5-M6+ get the hell out! A gentle rumbling underfoot, pot plant leaves trembling, hung keys or computer monitor shaking, meant no problem, just M4s. Loud rumbling, or violent shaking or jolting underfoot meant M5-M6s.
23.12.11. Geraldine St flat, 2.14pm, M4.2 quake, during the quake swarm
Leah & I walked along Bealey Ave to London St to check Leah's school. We saw brown quakemire on Barbadoes St corner. Perth St: Spalling from a concrete-curb lay by a drain's iron-grille.
23.12.11. Liquefaction mud oozing across pavement, Bealey Ave / Barbadoes St, during the first hour of the Xmas quake swarm
23.12.11. Post quake, abandoned, Bealey Ave flats, nr Fitzgerald Ave crossing
23.12.11. Spalled concrete curb stone, by iron drain grille, Perth St, soon after the M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during the Xmas quake swarm
London St: Leah's school was OK. Richmond Working Mens Club's back entrance was closed. A new CLOSED sign was on the gate.
23.12.11. CLOSED back entrance, Richmond Working Mens Club, London St, quake swarm afternoon
The Village Green between Pavitt St & Stanmore Rd: A family played cricket. Moving around outside, we often didn't feel moderate quakes, M3-4s. We felt them sometimes when we were still.
23.12.11. Family cricket, Village Green, between Pavitt St & Stanmore Rd, during the first hour post M5.8 & M5.3 quakes during the Xmas quake swarm
We trekked back to our car: Bealey Ave traffic lights were kaput. Cars drove carefully. At an Asian dairy we bought ice creams. It was dark inside the dairy due to a power cut. Two Asian ladies chuckled behind their counter: "Survived another quake." The dairy owner sorted our change on the electric till top, as the till didn't work.
23.12.11. Liquefaction mud & water, Packe St, within an hour post M5.8 & M5.3 quakes, during the Xmas quake swarm
3.18pm. Driving back to Burnside, Purchas St / Barbadoes St: An M6 quake hit: bounced our car. I drove fast from the lumpy, sunken crossing, as those roads were liquefactioned in 4 September 2010 Quake & 22 February 2011 Quake. Two cars were stalled on Barbadoes St, so we waited behind them watching power-lines dancing above.
The M6.0 quake was the fourth biggest quake we'd experienced over the last 15 months. The M5.8 quake we survived in Peterborough St library was the seventh biggest quake during the quake series, so far. (The Press 28.12.11).
Madras St: Brown liquefaction-puddles, similar to the 22 February 2011 Quake, but less volume, as the ground wasn't saturated. We'd had sunny days before the 23 December 2011 Quake Swarm, so less groundwater aggravated liquefaction. (We heard later TV news that eastern suburbs were badly liquefactioned again. Avon River was reverting riverside suburbs to swamps!)
Leah meanwhile texted Luke & a teacher friend, checking they were OK. Luke was safe at Heath St, our rental house was shaken for the umteenth time in the last 15 months. Luke's girlfriend's home at New Brighton had a power-cut. (Later TV news: 30 000 houses had power-cuts, soon sorted). Leah's teacher friend was at Merivale Mall parking lot when the M6 quake hit. Another car crashed into her's in the parking lot!
Madras St: A tall young man wearing white socks, no shoes, ran around a fallen, grey Vespa. He was crying. We thought he'd fallen off the Vespa in the M6 quake. We'd already endured six big quakes in the last hour & a half.
We stopped. "Are you OK?" I asked. He focused, looking normal again.
"Yes. It's my flatmate's Vespa." Neighbours left another flat & comforted him. We all reacted in different ways to quakes. No shame there, he was terrified, & alone & lost his mind a bit. I could've snapped a bawling "news" pic, but despised "news" where ghouls snapped traumatised people crying.
Back home Luke was pleased to see us. He was working in the garage when the first quake hit & & he left fast. We had power, sewage-connection, running-water & food. Leah boiled water. I filled our bath with cold water just in case. We watched TV news. Leah listened for news on the radio too. I Facebooked family & friends telling them we were OK. Leah texted & phoned family & friends too.
4.50pm. While Facebooking, another quake hit, M5, shook our house & computer.
5.08pm. An M4 quake hit while I sat in our lounge watching TV. I didn't bother rising, as I was five steps from our protective front-door frame. I knew that distance intimately, as I'd moved it during the 22 February 2011 Quake! Our back-door was further away, where I'd stood protected during the 13 June 2011 Quake.
Later that evening I shopped for essentials at our local supermarket, Wairakei Rd. The shop was already cleaned. The Wine section floor- tiles were red-wine stained, a lovely bouquet. Next day, 24.12.11, we would do our last Christmas Shopping at Pak 'n Save, Moorhouse Ave. We'd avoid the malls.
Another quake while I signed off, early morning Saturday 24.12.11. It rumbled our house & computer: M5.1 from Diamond Harbour way. GeoNet recorded 25+ more quakes during that quake-swarm night, around Belfast, Diamond Harbour, Akaroa, mainly Lyttelton & Christchurch, M3-M5.1 range.
Seismologists later opined that the 23 December 2011 Xmas Quake-Swarm had come from their recently surveyed & discovered north-south faults in Pegasus Bay. So aftershocks from the 4 September 2010 Quake had moved in a west-east faults direction to the Boxing Day Quake & 22 February 2011 Quake, then in a north-south faults direction in the 13 June 2011 Quake, to a north-south faults direction in the Pegasus Bay, 23 December 2011 Xmas Quake-Swarm. Why were crustal-quakes bothering us? (In October 2021, a cell-phone app would be developed enabling users to get a few seconds' cell-phone warning before quakes. Example: Wellington's October quakes where the app worked successfully. But not everyone had a cell-phone with the app!)
In the public library that Friday afternoon, during eight violent minutes, we'd experienced four distinct quakes. I was in four places in the library when those four violent quakes struck: newspaper-section, borrow-machines, returns-shelving, fiction-section, yet GeoNet with seismographs only stated two quakes for that period. A boffin decided for posterity a squiggly graph line with a cone of mini spikes was just one quake, instead of two or more! Graphic details to seismologists were academic, yet experienced by people on the ground, quakes were massive violence & tterror.
24.12.11. The Press front page headline: M5.8 - M5.3 - M6.0 - M5.0 for the 23.12.11 Xmas Quake-Swarm. For the record, we were in the library for the M5.8 - M5.3 quakes, including two more violent quakes. Also there were M4.2 - M4.8 - M4.4 quakes between the M5.3 - M6.0 quakes, when we were at Jake's flat & trekking Bealey Ave to London St (The Press & GeoNet).
Never mind the M6.0 quake which bounced us in our car on Barbadoes St after leaving Jake's flat. All that terror happened within one hour 20 minutes: 1.58pm - 3.18pm, Friday 23.12.11. The 25 odd aftershocks post M6.0 quake, mostly during the night, M3-5.1s, were relatively mild.
After 15 months of quakes, we were used to quake violence & terror. But that didn't negate our alertness for danger & self preservation. Leah went into herself & stayed vigilant. Her flight reactions were instantaneous, dive for cover, escape. Both Luke & I became vigilent yet detached, absorbing every detail, while time / action slowed during quakes.
Boxing Day, 26.12.11. Leah & I returned to her London St school. Bealey Ave, near the school we saw a ruined-house, a yellow-lidded, black plastic rubbish-bin blocked the front step, four letterboxes stuffed were full of letters & junk mail. At Leah's two-storey school, the M6.0 quake loosened gutters above front-doors & back-doors. We saw longitudinal cracks on an east wall & above an east window by school playground equipment. We didn't enter the school building, but looked through windows: a toppled computer monitor in one office. In three more offices, heavy filing-cabinet drawers were opened by the M6.0 quake. We couldn't see into most offices & classrooms due to closed blinds. The top-floor wasn't seen. We saw liquefaction-dribbles in the garden & on concrete-paths, as in high summer there was little groundwater. No mud-digging was required, as in previous quakes.
2015-16. Leah's quake-damaged school in London St would be repaired. We would be living in Fairlie then, as Leah would work at Lake Tekapo School for three years. While the London St school was repaired, staff & kids would relocate to nearby Richmond School, Pavitt St, which would be closed by MoE during post-quakes restructuring of Christchurch schools.
26.12.11. Library items on floor, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St
26.12.11. Public Library, Peterborough St: Just as well we'd left when we did on 23.12.11, as the closed library was a mess. I took hazy, flash snaps through front windows: Many more books were flung from shelves onto the carpeted floor, after we'd left. Video shelving was the worst, videos strewn between shelves. The video table which Leah had dived under during the M5.8 quake had fallen in the M6.0 quake, DVDs scattered on the carpet.
26.12.11. Library books on floor, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St
26.12.11. Fallen DVD table, M6 quake, 23.12.11, Public Library, Peterborough St
*Trekked Peterborough St, Packe St, Bealey Ave, Geraldine St, Perth St, London St, Stanmore Rd. 37 snaps.
Coda.
Tuesday 21.05.13. The Press would report: "GNS science has since re-analysed the aftershocks on December 23, 2011 and has upgraded the 3.18pm quake from M6.0 to M6.2. It remained the fourth largest since the September 2010 quake." GNS would take 17 months to reckon the magnitude of that quake! The M5 quakes we'd experienced in Peterborough St library were the prelude. Pegasus Bay Fault was the cause. Not a word about Christchurch Fault under Peterborough St library! Was Pegasus Bay Fault not linked to Christchurch Fault?
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Aftershocks 'nothing' alarming (The Press / Stuff Co).
Ouch! Glad I wasn't working that day :(
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