mate!
Posted on 02/24/2011 4:07:00 PM PST by DieHard the Hunter
Folks, I have been in lurk-mode for about a year. However, the awful events in Christchurch NZ have prompted me to post this general update, for anyone in FReeperland who may be interested.
By now, you will have heard the bare facts concerning the Christchurch earthquake, so I won't reiterate them here. The official death toll currently sits at just under 100, with expectations it may well rise to 300+. It is a terrible situation, one that New Zealand was never expecting.
My beloved Guardian Angels NZ organization has 3 Lads in Christchurch. They are all OK, as are their families, tho' one of them had a very close call. It was difficult to make contact with any of them in the hours immediately after the quake: I eventually succeeded at 02h43 early Wednesday morning, via txt.
I was at the Auckland and Wellington airports yesterday: I have never in my life seen them busier. The Red Cross has a very visible presence -- I counted at least 10 and probably more -- just attending to the earthquake victims being flown out of Canterbury (that's the province Christchurch is in). The NZ Police, too -- a huge presence. All churches of all denominations: most noticeable are the Sally Anns, of course: the are in uniform so they are highly visible.
I have been receiving updates and communiques since Tuesday, from people in Christchurch: government sources, police sources, private individuals, NGO's. It is very clear that something terrible has happened. It is also clear that hard intelligence is difficult to find, and even harder to sift thru.
There is lots of vague information and disinformation coming from Christchurch, and sorting the Credible from the Incredible is a bit of a task. Naturally, one cannot and should not believe every report.
I note with interest that a "boil water" advisory is in place. This means the water supply is probably contaminated with fecal microorganisms -- as one might expect. The sewerage pipes will have been breached by the quake. It is not always safe to "boil water" -- particularly when doing so would concentrate a toxin that might be present.
However, a "boil water" advisory signals the potential for a significant public health risk from infectious water-borne disease. I suspect we may see an outbreak of those, in the coming months.
The whole world has sent practical aid and assistance. One of the first to respond was, of course, the Americans. You have filled up aeroplanes with men and equipment and shipped them halfway 'round the world to help us here in New Zealand. That is one of the things America does best, and it happens all the time, every day. We are very grateful.
My in-tray has been SWAMPED with offers to help the earthquake effort: from private individuals, from NGO's. Mostly from America but also from around the globe. Today I am spending the afternoon trying to find out proper OFFICIAL channels to ensure these offers are properly addressed...
...which is one of the reasons why I am posting to you today. As usual, there are slimeballs out there who are trying to make a quick buck out of the Christchurch quake. New Zealand's Consumer Affairs is onto the case, and has issued a warning to people to be very wary about solicitations for Christchurch aid:
www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scam-news/scam-alert-42
Americans are generous people by nature, and it would be exceedingly easy to get ripped off by unprincipled parasites asking for "aid for Christchurch". Be cautious. The International Red Cross is active here, so is the Salvation Army: both are reasonably safe options for anybody wanting to donate, and both are intimately involved in the recovery efforts. The Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Mormons -- all are active in NZ.
Beyond that, it is probably risky to send any money to anybody else, IMO. If that changes I will, naturally, pass this information on.
For the time being, the International Alliance of Guardian Angels NZ Charitable Trust is not accepting donations for the Christchurch Earthquake: this is because we do not yet have a credible channel thru which donations can find their way to those who need help. I am working on that, naturally.
However, if you do receive solicitations in our name, please pay no attention to them. If/when the time comes that we are able to channel assistance where it is needed, I shall issue a proper communique. There is a piece of Logistical work that would need to be done, first...
Somebody overestimates the U.S. media.
Just heard on the local news of a young woman from Ohio who was visiting Christchurch and has not been located. Very sad. Father is waiting for any word.
Interested but preoccupied with events here.
Thank God NZ is a modern nation with modern standards or things could have been much worse.
” Somebody overestimates the U.S. media. “
Boy, does he!!
I suspected that this tragedy would get short shrift from the media, since it didn’t occur in a 3rd-world hellhole - but, when I went to bed that evening, I never expected that it would have disappeared into the MSM black-hole by the time I got up in the morning...
I am ashamed, even moreso than usual, for my nation’s Media...
DieHard the Hunter, thank you for the update, and for your efforts on behalf of the stricken - we are with you in prayer...
mate!
Thank you for the update.
Thank you for your on the ground update. As others have mentioned, the NZ earthquake has been quite unreported. Sadly, my sister’s old landlady’s son was a victim, with another son still missing. My heart and prayers go out to the people of New Zealand as they deal with this tragedy.
Thanks for the updates...
Thanks for the post. God bless you, yours, and your fellow countrymen. Know that you are all in our prayers. Please continue to keep us closely posted.........and by the way, welcome to FR.
I hate to tell you this, but the MSM has almost totally neglected your story, in favor of Libya and Wisconsin stories. They report what they want us to see and that is it. I pray for your safety and know the Lord will take care of those who need His help......
Thanks so much for this post, DieHard - my daughter lives in Wellington now - her boyfriend’s brother lives in Christchurch - besides the horrific loss of life (makes me weep beyond words) he says that the small businesses have been hit very hard. Recovery is going to be extremely tough. My love and admiration (and prayers to Almighty God) for you Kiwis is without bounds.
ML/NJ
> Somebody overestimates the U.S. media.
(Sad Grin...) fair enough. These days I watch al Jazeera for credible news (it is a sad day when the Enemy has better news sources than the Good Guys do.) So I may have made an assumption.
OK, the guts of it is this: at just after 13h00 on Tuesday local time, a fairly large earthquake hit Christchurch again. It was not quite as strong on the Richter scale as the September 4 quake — but it was shallower (5 kms as opposed to 10 kms) so it caused unbelievable damage.
The epicenter was the Port of Lyttleton, which is a small town nearby.
The Christchurch CBD was flattened. I have seen aerial photos of Christchurch: it looks like the CBD received a direct hit, WW-II style, from a Lancaster bombing raid.
Christchurch’s eponymous Cathedral has lost its spire. Several hi-rise buildings have been munched. The Canterbury Television Building has been completely destroyed: there are no further survivors expected to emerge from that rubble. The PGG Building has collapsed into itself like a cheap camera: some people were rescued but many were crushed. A major hotel nearby the CTV building is expected to topple into the rubble heap — making ongoing rescue efforts exceedingly perilous.
The CBD itself is under police cordon: anybody found there without official excuse will be arrested. Rightly so — they are handing out “official excuse” very sparingly, and only to properly qualified emergency response staff.
Liquefaction has been a major issue: that is when the earth and groundwater shakes itself into a nasty, muddy muck. As with the previous September 4 earthquake, this is an issue in and near the otherwise-picturesque Avon River.
The Hospital is — so far — unaffected and operational. However, casualties are being sent all over NZ because the volume of injuries is so high.
95 confirmed dead, with the death toll climbing.
Supposedly this girl was within an hour or so of leaving for the airport.
Hello FRiend!!
So glad to hear from you and that you are okay!!
My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.
Thank you for letting us know from a personal POV and for the advice about donations. Prayers will continue for those affected by the earthquake.
Cheers, mate!
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