Disaster In My Region: AW Check In Thread (Tornadoes, Floods)

[MacAllister]

Every time something awful happens, like Katrina, American midwest tornado warnings, the flooding in Queensland, or the Christchurch earthquake, I quite literally pace the floor worrying about our AW peeps who are in the danger zone.

I also get a bunch of questions from other members, as to whether someone's been heard from.

So consider this the official AW Check In Thread.

Right now, I'd really like to hear from our NZ members, especially those of you living in the vicinity of Christchurch.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, we wish you safety and the brightest part of God's mercies.

Please check in and let us know you're okay, when you can safely do so.

 

[MacAllister]

I've seen many of our peeps from NZ checking in, in the last day - but has anyone heard from Steam&Ink, who recently moved to Christchurch?

 

[Caitlin Black]

I haven't seen Steam&Ink, I'm afraid.

When I heard about Christchurch, I was worried about the few NZers we have on here too. Good idea to start this thread.

Actually, my mum and grandparents were on a holiday to NZ last year, just after the first earthquake. They said Christchurch was their favourite NZ city out of the 6 or so they visited on their cruise. When we were watching the live News coverage of the aftermath, they kept pointing out a number of places they had been around or even in late last year.

It easily could've been them trapped during this massive earthquake if they'd taken a later holiday, or the Earth had been vicious a bit sooner.

*hugs* to all NZers, AWers or not.

 

[Puma]

Thank you for this thread, Mac. I've passed the word on to historical that it's here.

I'd also like to encourage everyone who hasn't to add their names to the list of AW members by state, country, etc. that's in Roundtable. When something like the Christchurch disaster happens, it's nice to be able to look there to see who all in the AW community we need to watch for to make sure they're okay. This really is an international community of friends. Puma

 

[kaitie]

I've seen many of our peeps from NZ checking in, in the last day - but has anyone heard from Steam&Ink, who recently moved to Christchurch?

She and her family are both okay. We got a message from Sassy over in the M/T/S thread the other day.

 

[MacAllister]

Kaitie, thank you SO much for letting us know.

 

[regdog]

Sweetleaf dropped by Derailing yesterday. She and her family are fine, they aren't near Christchurch.

 

[kaitie]

Kaitie, thank you SO much for letting us know.

No problem. We were all relieved. This is such a scary disaster, and it's hard not to worry when you see the news video.

 

[Puma]

Thank you Kaitie - Historical has been worried about her. Puma

 

[pdr]

Phew!

Thank you for this thread.

I'd logged Steam and Ink with the Red Cross missing persons this morning so I am glad she's alive if homeless and shaken! I shall now go and unlog her!

I am 360Ks from Christchurch so was only shaken around in the quakes.

 

[MacAllister]

I've just received an email from Steam&Ink, and I'm pretty sure she won't mind if I share this part with everyone here:

We don't need anything personally, but the region has been hit really hard. Many of our iconic buildings have been irreparably damaged, and the council estimates the one-third of the CBD will need to be rebuilt. Many people are homeless, and much of the city has lost power, water, and sewer services. (You may be aware of the death rate, but if not, the figure will probably be more than 200. At this stage I don;t think I personally know any of the dead, but I know many people who have lost friends and loved ones.) If you wanted to help - but you don't have to - you could invite AW people to consider donating to the Christchurch Quake Relief fund (http://christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz/) where a secure donation can be made. This money would go to relief for people who have lost a lot more than my husband and I have.

 

[Izz]

I live in Auckland, a whole island away from the quake, but watching the news coverage is still pretty gut-wrenching.

Fortunately, all of my friends in Christchurch are shaken up but unharmed. One couple had lost their house in the last quake, but fortunately the property they're living at now wasn't too badly damaged.

It appears we're going to see an exodus from Christchurch over the next little while. Not that i can blame anybody leaving.

ETA: and i'm glad to hear Steam&Ink is okay. Being in the midst of it must've been a terrifying experience.

 

[Puma]

Mac - Thank you so much for the update on Steam and Ink. Puma

 

[kaitie]

I've just received an email from Steam&Ink, and I'm pretty sure she won't mind if I share this part with everyone here:

Thank you so much for the link.

 

[Silver King]

Steam&Ink has just checked in here in Office Party.

 

[Steam&Ink]

Wow, you guys, I've just seen this thread. I'm overwhelmed, and so sorry I couldn't make contact with more people sooner. We've had it pretty rough in Christchurch, and in my area we're still without power and water... So I am using the internet at someone else's house on the world's smallest laptop - think I'm going cross eyed from squinting!

Thanks Mac and Sassy3421 especially, for making contact and also letting people know I'm OK. It's so hard during a disaster to think of all the people who might be thinking about you - I'm really sorry if I worried people, it was just crazy and we had so much to do and very little ability or time to get on the internet.

PS If anyone is interested to see how Christchurch people laugh at themselves, check out the FB group called "You know you're from Christchurch when..." it's a bit of dark humour about how we're all coping in "interesting times"

 

[Steam&Ink]

Thank you for this thread.

I'd logged Steam and Ink with the Red Cross missing persons this morning so I am glad she's alive if homeless and shaken! I shall now go and unlog her!

I am 360Ks from Christchurch so was only shaken around in the quakes.

thank you so much for caring. This brought a tear to my eye - something that has been happening a LOT in the last ten days, admittedly...

 

[MacAllister]

Please, please, PLEASE don't feel bad for being out of contact, okay? We all knew that even if you and all your loved ones were totally okay and your house untouched, things have been crazy there.

Hugs.

 

[CACTUSWENDY]

http://thestandard.org.nz/you-know-youre-from-christchurch-when/



I just had to read some of them. These are funny.

I'm so glad all is well with you guys.

 

[Purple Rose]

Steam & Ink, glad you're safe. The people in Bali have made offerings for the victims of Christchurch. Well, at least in my household. Typically, if they see a dissater on TV, they say a special prayer along with their daily offerings. Just so you know because I believe there's no such as thing as too many good wishes or too much love. All the best.

 

[jaksen]

I was so glad to see in recent news that no one (apparently) perished in the cathedral (which had the tower that toppled over.) I understand the interior was a mess, too.

You've been in this New Englander's thoughts and prayers.

 

[Steam&Ink]

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, guys. We are slowly getting some normality back into our lives, but for those who have lost loved ones it will be a long journey.

At present the majority of the CBD is off-limits, so businesses are setting up shop in the outlying suburbs. Good news for owners of those commercial properties that had been standing empty since the recession.

About 70,000 people have left Christchurch, which is around one-fifth of our pre-quake population. You really notice these numbers- most of my neighbourhood is standing empty. Sadly this is an open invitation for looters, who prey on houses in the areas where there is no power and consequently no street lights. We try to keep an eye on one another's places, and the police are patrolling at night with spotlights.

We don't know how many people will decide to leave our beautiful city permanently - over the past few days I have talked to a number of people who don't think they can continue to live here. They are scared to walk beside walls, go into multi-level buildings, ride public transport (two buses were crushed by falling buildings), or pretty much do anything. Perhaps it will wear off after a while - I hope so.

Jaksen, I really don't know how there were no bodies found in our Cathedral - when you see the pictures of it, it's amazing to think that everyone got out of there. I don't like to throw around words like "miracle", but that is certainly a good contender for the title.

 

[Puma]

Christchurch is unfortunately built right on a fault line - and for some reason, the faults surrounding that plate (Pacific maybe) seem to be much more active right now with stronger quakes than a lot of the rest of the earth is receiving. I've been looking at the USGS maps daily. California in contrast is having many more quakes, but small in comparison to the ones in the South Pacific. It's a difficult situation for all of you to be in.

The lack of casualties in the cathedral is amazing, but overall, I'm really amazed the count has not been a lot higher from the pictures I've seen.

The looters are disgusting. I don't understand that type of mind. Puma

 

[Kateness]

Newsflash - tsunami in Japan...how are our Japanese members doing?

 

[mccardey]

Kaitie (mystery/thriller/suspense thread). Are you ok?