Blogs

Severe winds forecast tomorrow may be strong enough to further damage already fragile buildings after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Canterbury early this morning.

Many homes have been exposed to the elements, which are expected to take a turn for the worse with gales, and possibly hurricane force winds inland, forecast for tomorrow afternoon.

"Normally gales, up to 130km/h, don't cause too many issues across Canterbury," WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan said.

Scientists are investigating whether the 7.1 magnitude earthquake which struck Christchurch and its surrounding communities today was actually two or three shocks in quick succession.

The US Geological Survey (USGS ) in Golden, Colorado, has said that scientists are still trying to reconstruct the way today's quake played out.

"We think that this is a very complex event," said geophysicist Paul Caruso. "We think that the main shock may have consisted actually of three earthquakes."

There are some striking similarities between the 7.0 magnitude earthquake which devastated Haiti in January and today's 7.1 shock in Canterbury, but also a big difference: 230,000 people died around Port-au-Prince, and in Christchurch only a couple of seriously wounded people known so far.

But the different impacts don't have much to do with the earthquakes themselves, the MSNBC website reported.

Below is a New York Times OpEd that provides an overview of the actions Congress should take in the Deepwater Horizon Spill and its meaning for future risks the petrochemical industry assumes when endangering the health and human security of Americans. What are your thoughts? xxxxxxx Published: August 2, 2010 Over the opposition of most Republicans and the massed lobbying power of the oil industry, the House last week narrowly approved legislation imposing new safeguards on offshore oil drilling.

Here is an interesting technology that could make a huge difference around the world, if its commercial application application end up being inexpensive and sufficient for most families.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-03/low-power-desalination-and-purification-technology-brings-clean-water-remote-villages

No statements yet on how long the chips will last.

My biggest concern is that this may become an excuse for human's continuing to foul their planetary nest, without consideration of the larger implications.

Emergency morgues set up in Fiji (Source: ONE News)

Residents in southern Fiji are stocking up on groceries and boarding up their homes in preparation for the brunt of Cyclone Tomas, as reports come through of a death.

A woman drowned after battling to save others in massive waves pounding a beach off Fiji's Vanua Levu.

Fiji's Disaster Management Centre has confirmed it is setting up emergency morgues around the country as they prepare to be battered by the cyclone. There have been unconfirmed reports of fatalities and injuries.

Resilience experiences...

When thinking in what Resilience implies after an event,it comes to mind that a community may not only be able to cope and to recover, but that it may also change to reflect different priorities arising from the disaster.

Creativity and flexibility will show the ability to recover from trauma or crisis in the aftermath of traumatic events .In this process building resilience interventions at the same time that the tragic events are happening is a major key issue.

Martial law in Chile

President Bachelet declared a state of siege on the basis that it was necessary to maintain order and distribute aid. Government officials blamed looters for interfering with the rescue and aid effort.
So far, the death toll from the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami stands at 723 and is expected to rise. Many who are now missing are believed to have drowned at sea, while others are still buried under the rubble. Some 1.5 million homes were destroyed, many of them wiped out by the tsunami.

For such a large earthquake, it would seem that the death toll should be far higher, unless the buildings and infrastructure were designed to face a huge earthquake with low casualties.

Beyond the immediate death toll, what is the impact of this 8.8 Mw earthquake on Chile and the world?

EU pledges three million euros

The European Union says it is readying some 3 million euros ($4 million) in immediate aid to help Chile cope with the aftermath of an earthquake that has killed at least 300 people.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement he was "deeply shocked at the extent of the devastation" in Chile as he announced the European Union's intention to do whatever it took to help.

Chile earthquake: tsunami warnings trigger evacuations across Pacific
The devastating earthquake in Chile has triggered a tsunami which is radiating across the Pacific and has already caused serious damage on the islands said to have inspired Robinson Crusoe.

By David Barrett
Published: 1:37PM GMT 27 Feb 2010
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Chile's President Michelle Bachelet declares a 'state of catastrophe' Photo: AP

Chile well prepared for quakes

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News

It is not possible to predict the time and magnitude of an earthquake, but certain places on the Earth know they are always at risk from big tremors. Chile is one of those places.
It lies on the "Ring of Fire", the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.

== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==

***This event has been revised.

Region: OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE
Geographic coordinates: 35.846S, 72.718W
Magnitude: 8.8 Mw
Depth: 35 km
Universal Time (UTC): 27 Feb 2010 06:34:14
Time near the Epicenter: 27 Feb 2010 03:34:14
Local standard time in your area: 27 Feb 2010 06:34:14

Location with respect to nearby cities:
104 km (65 miles) WSW (246 degrees) of Talca, Chile

By IANTHE JEANNE DUGAN

PORT-AU-PRINCE—Doctors here are bracing for another onslaught of patients, as emergency workers leave the country and thousands of surgeries done after the January 12 earthquake need to be redone.

For a good overview of the US-based health volunteers and disaster response, please see:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp1001737?query=TOC