What the Folk!

Oh no.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... index.html

I was watching live stream news coverage last night as events were unfolding and all the raw footage and pictures were deeply upsetting. So sad to hear about the multiple fatalities too and I hope people who are alive but trapped are pulled out as soon as possible. My thoughts go out to all those affected.

Thanks for that article, mock. That poor teacher and her students. I'm in agony for their parents.

ing for a good outcome.

Is there anything set up yet to send $$ for the rescue/relief effort?

Red Cross is the place to go for donations

http://www.redcross.org.nz/donate

Thanks for the link Sherry.

I hope they find those poor trapped people. It's such a bummer, to have escaped a tragedy last time and then for this to happen. I'll bet a lot of those buildings were weakened by the last quake.

The link is down for now. Thanks, Sherry. I'll keep trying.

OMG, Is Amanda still in New Zealand?


The list of people on stuff.co.nz trying to contact loved ones is breaking my heart. I still can't get the Red Cross link to work but here's The Salvation Army's link from the stuff page. http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/ and Rotary http://www.rotary.org.nz/information.cfm?ID=1340 . I wish I knew how else to help.

Looks like she is - but she hasn't tweeted since Monday. That doesn't mean anything though. Has anyone heard from her on facebook?
I'm sure she's fine, even on the off-chance she was in Chch she's probably OK, but fingers crossed nonetheless.

The Red Cross site is probably overloaded - but one of my daily coupon sites has a Red Cross donation going which does have access. I'm not sure if international users can access this, but if so, you can donate NZ$5, NZ$10 or NZ$20 quick and easy.

Thank you for your concern. I was in Nelson with no internet available I'm on my way to Sydney this afternoon

What's happened in ChCh is very very sad and just 6 months after the last quake

Good to hear from you, girl! Where's Nelson? Did you feel the quake?

Thanks for the Red Cross linky, GH. That was quick and easy. It's cool to see how many folks are "buying" the deal. I hope the people of Christchurch feel the love and concern. I also saw how the people of Wellington are opening their very homes to those displaced by the earthquake.

Glad to hear you're safe, Amanda.

nonch- Nelson is in the north part of the South Island. I don't know if they would have felt the quake that far north or not... maybe.

A first hand account of the earthquake: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christc ... rth-roared

Reading it made me wanna cry.

It did make me cry. My God....how scary...and made very real by her account. Thanks, Faith. I don't think I've ever read or seen anything that made me almost feel what it's like to be in an earthquake...or at least really slam home how much I never want to experience one.
I hope she's with her daughter now.

I just saw this: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/c ... s-in-quake

Yes, very glad you're safe Amanda! The lack of internet access and/or phone access must be traumatic for those waiting to hear.

It's likely some people did. At least in a small way. I've heard reports of it being felt as far north as Wellie. Crikey. One of our reporters was in Dunedin (way south) and she was on the phone to us when an aftershock hit and she said 'oh there's another one now', so it was felt quite some distance away despite being shallow.

It worked? Oh good. Almost all the major coupon sites have those donation options going - though some are just for a generic 'relief fund', or for a specific charity like the Salvation Army or something and Red Cross is probably the best option. You may start getting email coupon offers for cheap food and drinks now though Nonch (!) - if so, just hit 'unsubscribe' on the emails. We have very strict spam laws so doing that on an NZ generated email always works!

I'm reading some travellogues online and it seems many Christchurch residents are taking tourists into their homes, since the YHA and some hotels are collapsed or unsafe. There's been at least one fatality at the YHA - any fatality is upsetting, but somehow particularly so if it's a traveller just here trying to have a nice holiday.

Me too.

Smaller earthquakes can actually be quite fun and exciting - they get the adrenaline flowing! I've experienced some really big shakes but never one with such damage. Reading that, I also hope I never do.

There's only one news story in this country at the moment... Now up to 75 dead, 300-odd missing.

How horrible to be separated from your family and be unable to reach them and not know if they are safe. Maddie got away from me in a Barnes and Noble once when she was just 14 months old - one minute she was sitting next to me on the floor looking at a picture book, the next minute I looked down and she was gone. I was pretty calm at first because I figured she couldn't have gone far, but when I didn't find her right away I told a staff member and we both looked for her and then when *neither* of us could find her, I started to freak out. Anyway, long story short we ended up finding her and as you can imagine my relief was immense. But the terror was like teetering on the edge of a bottomless pit. I don't think I could take that feeling for more than five minutes. My heart goes out to all those people who don't know where their loved ones are.