It's now been upgraded to a 7.8 magnitude (from 7.5) which means it has THREE TIMES as much energy as the lower magnitude quake.
As well as the huge initial two simultaneous quakes, there have been aftershocks (some themselves very big) every minute or so. Also, the following couple of days saw heavy rain and very high winds, so damaged roofs and other structures got torn away.
The main road SH1 and only railway line run along a tiny rim of land squished between the sea and the mountains, occasionally through little tunnels because there wasn't even a rim of land. Well now of course there is nothing, the train track has been pushed out to sea (still intact!) and the huge slips cover rail and road. What's left of the road... some parts have drops of several feet, or the road surface has a severe bend near right-angled in the middle of it. There are many photos online. I will try to find a link. The town of Kaikoura is cut off, but some ships have made it to the area with food and water supplies, and helicopters are flying out the tourists and the elderly, injured or frightened.
Check out National Business Review and about halfway down their page is an album of photos. One of the photos has some video footage attached showing the railway line and SH1.
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T-Bone
will do ....thanks for the link Twinky
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krys
Add me in! That must be a terrible experience. May God's peace and safety rule there.
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Twinky
It's now been upgraded to a 7.8 magnitude (from 7.5) which means it has THREE TIMES as much energy as the lower magnitude quake.
As well as the huge initial two simultaneous quakes, there have been aftershocks (some themselves very big) every minute or so. Also, the following couple of days saw heavy rain and very high winds, so damaged roofs and other structures got torn away.
The main road SH1 and only railway line run along a tiny rim of land squished between the sea and the mountains, occasionally through little tunnels because there wasn't even a rim of land. Well now of course there is nothing, the train track has been pushed out to sea (still intact!) and the huge slips cover rail and road. What's left of the road... some parts have drops of several feet, or the road surface has a severe bend near right-angled in the middle of it. There are many photos online. I will try to find a link. The town of Kaikoura is cut off, but some ships have made it to the area with food and water supplies, and helicopters are flying out the tourists and the elderly, injured or frightened.
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Twinky
Check out National Business Review and about halfway down their page is an album of photos. One of the photos has some video footage attached showing the railway line and SH1.
National Business Review
You can also try this Facebook link: NBR Album
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krys
Indeed - - thanks for the link. I can't come close to comprehending the damage by only reading your words. Those photos really drive it home.
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Allan
New Zealands version of Mid-West USA tornadoes :0
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