A faded yellow sticker stuck to the window of a house on Avonside Drive. It has been issued by the Christchurch City Council and reads, "Restricted Use. No entry except on essential business. Warning: This building has been damaged and its structural safety is questionable. Enter only at own risk. Subsequent aftershocks or other events may result in increased damage and danger, changing this assessment. Re-inspection may be required. The damage observed from external inspection is as described below." It goes on to set out the conditions for entry to the building and information about the inspector. The sign is so faded that the handwritten information is almost illegible.
Sally Roome talking to members of the Sumner community outside the UC QuakeBox container in Sumner. Above, the damaged cliffs can be seen with a house at the edge on a lean.
Sally Roome talking to members of the Sumner community outside the UC QuakeBox container in Sumner. Above, the damaged cliffs can be seen with a house at the edge on a lean.
A damaged chimney on the roof of a house in Kaiapoi. The bricks have crumbled onto the roof where they lie precariously. These will have to be removed and the rest of the chimney deconstructed by hand.
A Civil Defence staff member completing a Level 1 Rapid Assessment inspection form for a damaged house. Some of the brickwork has collapsed from the outer wall and the awnings over the windows have collapsed.
A photograph of a member of an emergency management team in a room inside an earthquake-damaged house. The chimney and fireplace in the room have collapsed and the bricks have spilled across the floor.
Damage to a house in Richmond. Brick cladding is badly cracked and buckled, and some bricks have fallen. There is a large gap between the floor and the foundations. The photographer comments, "Brick walls still clinging on".
Damage to a house in Richmond. Brick cladding is badly cracked and buckled, and some bricks have fallen. There is a large gap between the floor and the foundations. The photographer comments, "Brick walls still clinging on".
A photograph of volunteers fron the Wellington Emergency Management Office walking down an earthquake damaged street in Christchurch. In the background, one of the houses has a yellow sticker, indicating that access is restricted.
Damage to a house in Richmond. A large crack runs through brickwork under a window, and one side of the wall has visibly slumped, leaving a gap between the bricks and the window frame. The photographer comments, "Cracking in the external brickwork".
Internal damage to a house in Richmond. The top of a window frame has separated from its side, and above a large crack in the wallboard has exposed the bricks behind. The photographer comments, "Cracks in the wall of the sunroom".
Internal damage to a house in Richmond. Wallboard has broken away in the upper corner of a room, exposing the brickwork. The photographer comments, "Cracks in the wall of the sunroom. A lot of the plaster has subsequently fallen off the bricks".
Internal damage to a house in Richmond. A large crack in the wallboard below a window has exposed the bricks, and the skirting board has moved away from the floor. The photographer comments, "Cracks in the wall of the sunroom".
Damage to a house in Richmond. Part of the brick wall has slumped to one side, leaving visible gaps between the wall and the roof, and between the wall and a windowframe. The photographer comments, "Cracking in the external brickwork".
A photograph of an earthquake-damaged house on Marine Parade in North Brighton. The front section of the house has collapsed, the rest buckled. The wall of the gable has also collapsed as well as part of the lower front wall. A red sticker in the window indicates that the building is unsafe to enter. A message has been spray painted on the front window, reading, "Roof tiles, $3 each". Police tape has been used to cordon off the house. Public notices can be seen on the fence, on the roof of the collapsed section and the section behind.
A yellow sticker on the door of a house in Worcester Street reading, "Restricted use. No entry except on essential business. Warning: This building has been damaged and its structural safety is questionable. Earthquake aftershocks present danger. Enter only at own risk. Subsequent events may result in increased damage and danger, changing this assessment. Reinspection may be required. The damage is as described below: partial collapse of longitudinal walls". Following on from this are the specific conditions that must be complied with to enable entry into the property, the inspector's identification details, and the date and time the building was inspected. At the bottom the form reads, "Do not remove this placard. Placed by order of the territorial authority Christchurch City Council".
A photograph of a house on Glenarm Terrace in Dallington. The chimney fell off the roof during the September earthquake and the bricks are still lying on the ground. A tarpaulin has been placed over the top of the hole to prevent water damage inside the house. Ironically, it has been weighed down with bricks. Spring flowers can be seen in the garden.
A photograph of members of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team inside an earthquake-damaged house. One of the ERT members is climbing a staircase covered in rubble from a collapsed interior wall.
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.
The empty conservatory of house on Avonside Drive that has been abandoned due to damage from the 4 September 2010 earthquake. The metal frame of the conservatory has bent and sections of glass have broken. Cracks can be seen in the building's foundation.
A photograph of the earthquake damage the brick fence of a house in Christchurch. Bricks from the broken fence have been stacked on the footpath in front. Liquefaction has been piled on the footpath and road cones placed in front.
A photograph of the earthquake damage the brick fence of a house in Christchurch. Bricks from the broken fence have been stacked on the footpath in front. Liquefaction has been piled on the footpath and road cones placed in front.
A close-up photograph of parts of the Townsend Telescope recovered from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The telescope was housed in the tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. It was severely damaged when the tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of parts of the Townsend Telescope recovered from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The telescope was housed in the tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. It was severely damaged when the tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Damage to a house in Richmond. Part of the brick wall has slumped to one side, leaving a visible gap between the wall and a windowframe. Broken wooden framing can be seen in the gap. The photographer comments, "Cracking in the external brickwork".
An abandoned residential property at 12 Seabreeze Close in Bexley. A damaged window has been boarded up around the side of the house and the front window has been vandalised with graffiti. The yard is covered with weeds and silt from liquefaction.
Damage to a house in Richmond. Bricks have fallen from a wall, exposing the wooden framing beneath. The photographer comments, "The foundation and a section of the wall of the dining room have shifted and cracked. The dining room floor is very springy".
Damage to Wave House on Gloucester Street (Winnie Bagoes Pizza Bar). The roof and left side of the building have collapsed and crumbled into the street, crushing several cars. Emergency personnel have spray painted two of the cars with the word "Clear" to indicate they have been checked for trapped or injured people. The scene has been cordoned off by New Zealand Fire Service tape.
Damage to the garden of a house in Richmond. Liquefaction is visible among the plants and on the driveway, and the driveway is badly cracked. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd. Water and silt have flattened the long grass in the back garden. The growth right of centre is suckers growing from the stump of a prunus tree we had felled last year. The section of fence between us and our neighbour fell down in the Sep 4 quake".
Damage to a residential property in Richmond. The brick wall of the garage has collapse inward, and the roof fallen in on top of it. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd and recovery work around Richmond and St Albans. The neighbours behind us used the kayak to get in to their house - it's flooded by Dudley Creek which runs behind the block, plus major liquefaction. Our old garage provides a good spot to park it".