7.8 Magnitude Earthquake rocks New Zealand

By Ashley Robinette

staff writer

Photo of Kaikoura, courtesy of Ulrich Lange

This past month, the residents of Kaikoura, New Zealand were shocked by a 7.8 magnitude quake that killed 2 people and wounded hundreds more. It has been almost 5 years since New Zealand last felt an earthquake over a 5.0 magnitude, said Joshua Berlinger of CNN. People were woken up at midnight on November 14 by the extreme shaking and those near the epicenter could see their homes falling apart in front of their eyes. All over the South Island in New Zealand, landslides cut off road access and downed power lines, leaving many people without a way to find help.

The tourist town of Kaikoura was the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, meaning they were the hardest hit by the disaster. Water and sewage lines were ripped apart and are now irreparable, with construction reports saying they will not be fixed until the early months of 2017 reported Angela Dewan from CNN. The stranded citizens all over the region were mainly residents of the area, but many tourists were also stuck in the destroyed cities and towns. The U.S. Navy and the Navy of Japan came to rescue people from the worst areas and aided the Royal New Zealand Navy in dispatching essential supplies and medical help. Hundreds of people were evacuated to big cities like Lyttelton, where damage was minimal and shelters were being set up.

The seabed along the coastal parts of New Zealand’s South Island was also affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, said Elizabeth Roberts from CNN. It was raised by almost 2 meters above its normal position, leaving the marine life in the area with new environments to grow accustomed to. The fault lines that the South Island sit on usually have slips horizontally when earthquakes occur, but the fault line near the coast had a rare vertical slip which caused the raising of the seabed.

Due to the earthquake, hundreds of people are still unable to reach their homes and towns, and construction is slow going since the landslides have covered many roads and highways with rubble. New Zealanders are thankful though that the majority of evacuees are now safe in shelters, and schools are open again for people to get back into a routine. For the time being, the small island country has held strong together and has made it through these tough times.

You can donate to the New Zealand Red Cross here to help give families the supplies and help they need to get back on their feet

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