Voices from the Christchurch earthquake

Photos / Getty, NZ Herald

From the moment a Canterbury woman issued the simple message "QUAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shortly before 5am on the morning of September 4, the social networking site Twitter has been a source of up-to-the-minute information about the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that shook New Zealand's second-largest city into a state of distress.

The steady stream of official statements, news articles, scientific data and personal accounts that has followed since has served a dual purpose - ensuring people have the latest information about the stricken city, and providing a much-needed place for victims to express their feelings and receive support.

This was perhaps no more evident than when a series of powerful aftershocks rattled the Canterbury region late on Monday night.

"I think all of us freaked out tweeters need a convent or something to hide in til the ground stops shaking," Bex Davies wrote in between aftershocks measuring 5.2 and 5.4.

"Enough with rocking my bed already," Megan Campbell wrote a few moments later.

"I wanna sleep and this is just making me all nervy."

There have been so many aftershocks since the initial earthquake - at least 200 before midday yesterday - that Cantabrians have taken to guessing the magnitude of each one before GeoNet publishes their data online.

Meanwhile Kalena Jordan, the woman who posted that single-word tweet of warning moments after the first quake, has gathered up other Twitter users' first earthquake tweets and published them in a single blog entry.

Trying to get on with getting on

On Facebook, readers in the South Island shared their first-hand accounts of life after the earthquake.

Tammie Bunt told other users in the Facebook community that she was feeling "helpless" despite having done a lot to help other earthquake victims.

"I was right there when the 7.1 hit and trust me, it's still surreal. You drive around and you wanna just cry," she wrote.

"No one ever believed Christchurch would get hit, but we did."

These aftershocks are freaking me out," wrote Blair Roddick. "Like eveyone else is saying, it's hard to tell what is wind and which is a aftershock. Either way they are all scary."

Others, like Tabitha Norton, told of how they were stepping up to help their neighbours at their time of need.

"We are housing our neighbours whose new two-storey house is about to collapse, clothing and feeding them and their 3 children," she wrote.

"Every little thing helps right?"

Anger at special-needs school burglary

The news that thousands of dollars worth of equipment was stolen from a school for children with special needs, who were already struggling to come to terms with the effects of the earthquake, drew a rapid and emotional response from Facebook users.

Stephanie May, from Upper Hutt, wrote that she found it hard to believe anyone "be so hard-hearted" as to steal from disadvantaged children.

Terry Nicholas expressed a wish to be the sentencing judge if the culprit was to be arrested and charged: "They'd get more than dancing on a YouTube video."

Shaken, but not stirred

As the days have progressed Cantabrians have used humour as a coping mechanism.

Mike Dickison published a blog entry after the earthquake that detailed what he had learned from the Saturday morning disaster.

It blended practical advice with sharp wit, and has since become one of the must-read articles about the event:

"The Southern sky is a beautiful thing, especially on a cloudless night. We forget this when we live in cities, until the electricity is suddenly cut off and you see the stars again. You see them especially well at half-past four in the morning, standing shivering in your driveway hoping the shaking doesn't start again. Oh look, Orion."

Dickison maintains his blog at the Statistically Improbable Phrases website.

One of the most popular earthquake-related tweets came from Deborah Fitchett, who borrowed a famous Samuel L. Jackson line and made it her own: "I'm sick and tired of these motherf***ing quakes on this motherf***ing plain."

Aucklander Jess McKenzie noted the classic JAFA acronym may have changed hands: "Aucklanders have now lost the JAFA Title - Its been claimed by Canterbury as Just Another F$%in Aftershock."

Your views, your voices

You know, I've never had much national pride, but how kind everyone's being to each other really brings tears to my eyes. I'm proud of you for the first time in my life, New Zealand.
- Victoria Dreyer (Facebook)

I'd like to thank all you North Island people for their nice thoughts and well wishes. We are coping the best we can.
- Tracy Kentish (Facebook)

I was in Christchurch on holiday months back and it's a beautiful city. It's just a shame that a lot of the old buildings couldn't be saved.
- Sharron Pawson (Facebook)

I have immense sympathy for your children, the older people, young people and everyone in between, the damage to your homes, treasured buildings etc. What happens in New Zealand affects us all. I cannot imagine the stress that you are all under.
- Colleen Gourlay (Facebook)

Good morning from wobblesville. A night of aftershocks and yes they are still going. Everyone just pauses and then gets on with it.
- Justin Hygate (Twitter)

What will all the #eqnz broken brick chimneys be replaced with? More brick?
- Greg Comfort (Twitter)

At around 5am a very drunk driver pulled up outside our house and asked "What happened?"
- Reg Blackwood (Twitter)

hmmm bet John & Lisa are glad they moved - just watching their old house on the news.
- Rachel Ah Kit (Twitter)

A big congratulations and thank you to all the volunteers who have been 'on deck' since the earthquake. In spite of having their own troubles to deal with these people have put them aside to help others. The people of Christchurch owe these people a big debt of gratitude.
- Maureen (Your Views)

How bad is it really? Well, it depends. As you drive through the city there are streets that look virtually untouched (are virtually untouched). And then 50m down the road you come to an area where the road is a mess, big cracks in the footpath, mud everywhere from burst water pipes, collapsed chimneys and missing walls or roofs. This is in the suburbs rather than the CBD. The variation seems totally random, but is probably related to the soil types underlying the different suburbs.
- Karen (Your Views)

I truly hope you guys down in Canterbury at least get a good night's sleep tonight. That's a major problem according to those who I've spoken with over the past week down there, so I hope it ends real soon. Take care of each other - we are still thinking of you all.
- Wendy (Your Views)

We can be very proud of the youth/young adults who live there who have come out to help. It is nice to see them using their networks, energy and intelligence to rally around and provide invaluable help, especially to those who have no way to help themselves.
- Anne (Your Views)

I am currently renting, My landlord has already been around. He has braced the sagging door frame, repaired the electrics (he is an electrician), made sure I was OK, and to ring should anything else need fixing.
- Gymee (Your Views)

I hope the children there receive the comfort and support they need after such an ordeal - I think they are all heroes. Stay strong.
- Chris (Your Views)

My sister and I flew home to Melbourne, Australia, from Christchurch having met our New Zealand cousins for the first time on August 14th. We are truly horrified to see the pictures of the devastation along streets that we so recently frequented.

Even though we have floods just north of Melbourne right now, your devastation is so much worse and our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
- Fay (Your Views)

- NZ HERALD STAFF