A damaged house in the Christchurch central city. Codes have been spray painted on the driveway as well as "No go" on the front window and door. A red sticker in the front window indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of street art on the side of an electricity substation on St Asaph Street. The artwork includes a Maori heimatau (fish hook) motif. Search and rescue codes have been spray-painted on the door of the building.
A photograph of the earthquake-damage to St Paul's-Trinity-Pacific Church on Cashel Street. A large section of the left side of the building has collapsed and the rubble has scattered onto the footpath and street below. Scaffolding constructed up the left side has also collapsed. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the wall in front of the building.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a building on Gloucester Street. Many of the windows have broken, and the glass litters the footpath in front. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the door of the Kosco Asian Supermarket.
A photograph of the rubble from a demolished building on Bealey Avenue. Tape has been slung over the entrance to the property and a portaloo can be seen to the left of the photograph. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the brick fence.
A photograph of the Canterbury Times and Star building on Gloucester Street. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the door of Le Pot Au Feu and a window of O-Cha Thai. Broken glass and fallen masonry litters the footpath in front.
A photograph of members of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team standing in front of an earthquake-damaged building on Lichfield Street. A section of the roof and the façade on the top storey of the building have collapsed and the bricks and other rubble have spilled onto the footpath and street below. USAR codes have been spray-painted on one of the bottom-storey windows and the front door.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to Peaches and Cream on the corner of Manchester and Tuam Streets. The top of the façade has been damaged, and USAR codes are spray-painted on the windows. Plastic fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to Peaches and Cream on the corner of Manchester and Tuam Streets. The top of the façade has been damaged, and USAR codes are spray-painted on the windows. Plastic fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon.
A photograph of a piece of plywood sitting on top of a pile of bricks from the Carlton Hotel. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the wood. In the foreground, metal fencing, cordon tape and a road cone have been used to cordon off the building.
A photograph of an earthquake-damaged house on Gloucester Street. The bottom storey of the house has shifted and is now on a noticeable lean. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the front of the building and a red sticker has been placed on one of the windows.
A photograph of Riverview Lodge on Cambridge Terrace. Some of the roof tiles have lifted and cordon tape has been draped across the entrance. USAR codes have been spray-painted in one window and a red sticker taped in another. The red sticker indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Avonmore House on the corner of Hereford Street and Latimer Square. Large cracks have formed in the building, causing sections of the masonry to crumble. The windows on the Hereford Street side of the building have bent out of shape and many of the glass panes have shattered. USAR codes have been spray painted on the column next to the door. In the distance wire fencing has been placed across the street as a cordon.
A photograph of a residential property in the Christchurch central city with USAR codes spray-painted on the driveway and "No go" spray-painted on the front window and door. A red sticker in the window indicates that the building is unsafe to enter. Cordon tape has been draped around the side, cordoning off a pile of bricks.
A photograph of a car on Gloucester Street which has been crushed by falling bricks from the Canterbury Times and Star building. There is a pile of bricks on the front of the car. A USAR team have spray-painted codes on a plywood board and wedged it into the back of the car.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to The Burrito Company on Armagh Street. The front window has smashed, the glass spilling onto the floor and footpath outside. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the door and window to the side. A red sticker on the door indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to The Burrito Company on Armagh Street. The front window has smashed, the glass spilling onto the floor and footpath outside. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the door and window to the side. A red sticker on the door indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of emergency management personnel examining the earthquake damage to the Flight Centre's Link Centre on High Street. A brick wall on the neighbouring building has collapsed, falling through the roof of the store, and spilling out into the street. To the left, USAR codes have been spray-painted on the windows of the Coffee Culture.
A photograph of mannequins lying on the footpath outside the R.N.A clothing store on Colombo Street. The mannequins are dressed in adventure gear. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the glass door and window of the store. A yellow sticker has also been stuck to the door, indicating that access to the building is restricted.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a group of shops on Colombo Street near the intersection of Kilmore Street. Large sections of the top storeys of the buildings have collapsed. Most of the bricks and other rubble have been cleared from the footpath. USAR codes have been spray-painted on many of the shops' windows. The closest store has been demolished and the rubble has been cleared away.
A photograph of Wharetiki on Colombo Street. A temporary fence made out of wooden slats, plastic netting, and safety tape has been constructed in front of the property. USAR codes have been spray-painted on one of the front windows and a red sticker has been placed on the front door. The red sticker indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Iconic Bar and the former Christchurch City Council offices on Manchester Street. The outer walls of the Council offices and the top storey of Iconic have collapsed, exposing the insides of the buildings. The bricks and other rubble have been cleared from the footpath in front. USAR codes have been spray-painted next to the entrance of Iconic.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Iconic bar on the corner of Manchester and Gloucester Streets. Large sections of the outer walls have collapsed, the bricks and masonry spilling onto the footpath below, crushing several cars. USAR codes have been spray-painted near the door and a red sticker has been taped above. The red sticker indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of a member of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team standing in front of the earthquake-damaged Avonmore House on Hereford Street. Sections of the walls have crumbled, spilling bricks and masonry onto the footpath and street below. Many of the windows have warped, breaking the glass. USAR codes have been spray-painted on one of the columns. A red sticker taped to the door indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A photograph of a member of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team standing in front of the earthquake-damaged Avonmore House on Hereford Street. Sections of the walls have crumbled, spilling bricks and masonry onto the footpath and street below. Many of the windows have also warped, breaking the glass. USAR codes have been spray-painted on one of the columns. A red sticker taped to the door indicates that the building is unsafe to enter.
A video of a presentation by Professor David Johnston during the fourth plenary of the 2016 People in Disasters Conference. Johnston is a Senior Scientist at GNS Science and Director of the Joint Centre for Disaster Research in the School of Psychology at Massey University. The presentation is titled, "Understanding Immediate Human Behaviour to the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence, Implications for injury prevention and risk communication".The abstract for the presentation reads as follows: The 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquake sequences have given us a unique opportunity to better understand human behaviour during and immediately after an earthquake. On 4 September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred near Darfield in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. There were no deaths, but several thousand people sustained injuries and sought medical assistance. Less than 6 months later, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred under Christchurch City at 12:51 p.m. on 22 February 2011. A total of 182 people were killed in the first 24 hours and over 7,000 people injured overall. To reduce earthquake casualties in future events, it is important to understand how people behaved during and immediately after the shaking, and how their behaviour exposed them to risk of death or injury. Most previous studies have relied on an analysis of medical records and/or reflective interviews and questionnaire studies. In Canterbury we were able to combine a range of methods to explore earthquake shaking behaviours and the causes of injuries. In New Zealand, the Accident Compensation Corporation (a national health payment scheme run by the government) allowed researchers to access injury data from over 9,500 people from the Darfield (4 September 2010) and Christchurch (22 February 2011 ) earthquakes. The total injury burden was analysed for demography, context of injury, causes of injury, and injury type. From the injury data inferences into human behaviour were derived. We were able to classify the injury context as direct (immediate shaking of the primary earthquake or aftershocks causing unavoidable injuries), and secondary (cause of injury after shaking ceased). A second study examined people's immediate responses to earthquakes in Christchurch New Zealand and compared responses to the 2011 earthquake in Hitachi, Japan. A further study has developed a systematic process and coding scheme to analyse earthquake video footage of human behaviour during strong earthquake shaking. From these studies a number of recommendations for injury prevention and risk communication can be made. In general, improved building codes, strengthening buildings, and securing fittings will reduce future earthquake deaths and injuries. However, the high rate of injuries incurred from undertaking an inappropriate action (e.g. moving around) during or immediately after an earthquake suggests that further education is needed to promote appropriate actions during and after earthquakes. In New Zealand - as in US and worldwide - public education efforts such as the 'Shakeout' exercise are trying to address the behavioural aspects of injury prevention.