A photograph of a Victim Support poster on a traffic light on Oxford Street. The poster reads, "Looking after yourself in times of crisis. Firstly you have the strength within you to get through this. You are not alone: keep talking to the people around you, use your family, whanau, friends and colleagues and do what you can to help others. Don't ingnore your own emotions and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Keep positive: it is important to keep a positive attitude to events keeping a focus on your strengths and positive coping skills. Do things that will help give you a sense of control. Remaining positive can help reduce stress and anxiety in other people around you, especially children. Reduce stress: you need to keep to routines as much as possible including eating, sleeping, exercise and incorporating those things you enjoy doing as part of your usual daytime activities. Do things that you find comforting as be with people who company you enjoy. It is especially important for children to be participating in normal routine activities as quickly as possible to reduce long term stress factors. You may experience a range of feelings as you move through the crisis and afterwards. Stress, worry, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, anger etc. all are natural responses. Feeling tense and constantly going over events in your mind are also natural responses. It is normal and okay to feel whatever you are feeling. The intensity of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings will lessen as life returns to normal".
A precarious chimney on the roof of a house. Most of the bricks have broken away and fallen into the roof of the house. The rest are still holding together. It will need to be deconstructed and removed.
A precarious chimney on the roof of a house. Most of the bricks have broken away and fallen into the roof of the house, the rest still holding together. It will need to be deconstructed and removed.
Pomeroy's Brewery Inn on Kilmore Street viewed across the Avon River. The bar is green stickered meaning it safe to enter. As a brick building in this condition is fairly rare.
The collapsed brick wall along the side of a house in Christchurch. A tarpaulin has been placed over a hole to prevent weather damage to the inside of the building. Ironically, it is being held down by bricks.
St Mary & St Athanaslos church on Edgeware Road. The wall of the gable has crumbled onto the pavement below, bending the front gate. Road cones and tape indicate that it is not safe to enter.
A precarious chimney on the roof of a house. Most of the bricks at the base of the chimney have broken away and fallen to the ground. The rest are still holding together. It will need to be deconstructed and removed.
A photograph of the Durham Street Methodist Church blocked off by wire fencing. The tip of the façade is damaged, and bracing holds it up from behind.
A photograph of a building on Worcester Street which suffered fire damage after the 4 September 2010 earthquake. The earthquake caused an electrical fire in the building which has blackened the front side of it.
Manchester Courts on the corner of Manchester and Hereford Streets. While the building looks mostly fine from the outside, it is unsafe to enter. "Danger, no entry" has been spray-painted on the front window.
A photograph of a crushed car outside Bismarck House at 140 Lichfield Street taken from behind a wire fence. Bricks from the building have crumbled from the top storey, landing on the roof of the car and crushing it.
(I righted the bird bath after the initial earthquake. None of the after-shocks were sufficient to knock it over again.)
A photograph of the i-SITE Visitor Centre in Kaiapoi. The foundations have lifted at the back of the building giving it a forward lean. Tape has been placed across the footpath and road as a cordon.
A photograph of the i-SITE Visitor Centre in Kaiapoi. The foundations have lifted at the back of the building giving it a forward lean. Tape has been placed across the footpath and road as a cordon.
Extensive damage caused by liquefaction in Bracken Street, Avonside. A pile of liquefaction can be seen in front of this house. After the earthquake, many people had to dig this silt out of their properties and place it on the road to be collected.
A photograph of the Durham Street Methodist Church. The parapet at the tip of the front gable has come loose and is leaning towards the road. Steel bracing has been placed behind the parapet to keep it from toppling.
The Durham Street Methodist Church. The top of the roof has broken away and is now boarded up. Bracing has been placed in the front of the building to hold it together and limit further damage from aftershocks. Scaffolding has been erected on the right side.
A photograph of green and red stickers taped to the door of the Money Club Building on Manchester Street. The green sticker indicates that the building has been inspected and the red that it is unsafe to enter.
Damage to a house in Richmond. A brick chimney has visibly twisted and there are gaps between the bricks. The photographer comments, "One chimney is damaged but still standing - for now. (It was taken down on the morning of Day 2, just as well)".
A toppled chimney on a house in Christchurch. The chimney has toppled onto the house but luckily not broken through the roof. It is now broken and lying on the corrugated iron. Below, plastic sheeting has been placed along the side of the roof to replace the missing gutter.
The old Railway Station clock tower on Moorhouse Avenue with plywood and steel reinforcement covering two sides, a crane hanging over top. The brickwork suffered extensive cracking during the earthquake making it in need for reinforcement. The clock has stopped at around 16:35, the time of the earthquake.
The fish and chip shop on Hills Road in Edgeware. The building is red stickered meaning it is unsafe to enter. Without the glass in the window, the inside of the store is easy to see. Panelling on the walls and roof have come down and much of the furniture has been removed.
The Williams Street Bridge in Kaiapoi. This part of the footpath was damaged when the concrete abutment rose during the earthquake, forcing its way through the pavement and into the open. Fencing has been placed around this section of the bridge until work can be done to make it safe to walk on.
A house in Christchurch with a red sticker on the window indicating that it is unsafe to enter. "No entry" and a large cross have also been spray painted on the front fence to warn people off. On the right side of the house, a tarpaulin can be seen covering a collapsed brick wall.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Churchills Pub on the corner of Colombo and Battersea Streets. The top of the façade has crumbled into the street below, bringing the awnings down with it. Wire fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon.
A photograph of a demolished building on Peterborough Street and Victoria Street. On the inner wall, a painting shows a woman with blonde hair sitting down. She has a scroll open in front of her, but she is looking away from it.
Damage to a house in Richmond. A brick chimney has visibly twisted and there are gaps between the bricks. The photographer comments, "Damaged chimney. We'll have to get this taken down tidily, but our roofer friends are a bit busy... (It was taken down on the morning of Day 2, just as well)".
A report by Thomas Wilson, Peter Almond, Derrick Moot, Zach Whitman, Rose Turnbull, et al summarising a reconnaissance survey of farms on the Greendale fault. The purpose of the report was to inform farm and societal recovery. It was presented at a Rural Recovery Group meeting on 13 September 2010.
The old Railway Station clock tower on Moorhouse Avenue with plywood and steel reinforcement covering two sides, and a crane hanging over top. The brickwork suffered extensive cracking during the earthquake making it in need of reinforcement. The clock has stopped at around 16:35, the time of the earthquake.
A green notice on a building on Manchester Street, indicating that it has been assessed by structural engineers and is safe. Every building in Christchurch was assessed in this way, a green, yellow or red notice placed on the front door or window. Green means ok to enter; yellow, restricted use; red, not safe to enter.