IMGP5756

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:23:38 +1300

On the 22nd of February we had another earthquake, much more destructive than the one from the previous September. The damage in our neighbourhood was limited compared to the eastern and central areas of the city which were hit very hard. I had been in the CBD at the time and was very lucky to come out alive.

The water and mud you see here were brought up by the process of liquefaction which was caused by the ground shaking. In addition, water and sewer pipes were ruptured so we had to boil our drinking water and be careful around any puddles. A water main running through this intersection had to be repaired several times during the following months.

We ended up working from home for a week or two until a temporary office could be arranged as our normal office was with in the CBD cordon - where it remains to this day. The owner of the company was extremely fortunate that someone was able to retrieve essential items from the office.