Yeah, in 2011 I was in the middle of town at the Cathedral Square. I was with other staff supporting over 100 people who have intellectual disabilities.
The floor starting moving like a surfboard and there was rumbling and crashing. I was at the bottom of a four storey building. I was about to take a group of 5 out to swimming and at the top of the one of clients having a manic episode.. the earthquake hit.
The building beside us was glass and was shattering over the road beside us. We had an evacuation point behind our building that was covered in rubble. We evacuated to the nearby park, then to Hagley Park where it was raining and we had to get a tarpulin under cover. We got into large tents there. Then we were evacuated to Burnside High School and stayed over night. My family didn't know where I was cos my cell phone was out of charge and the service was choked up.
One of the staff managed to get every one's key contacts and contact people over time so the next morning I could get picked up by my brother.
My bro was at a medical conference. I think he stayed in Hagley park too. I was working at the library when it happened and we saw it on the tv, I txted my brother are you in chch? He was but assured me he was ok and caught the next flight out. It was a big shock but the first one was a bit of a miracle that everyone survived as they were safe in their beds.
aucks is reaching capacity remember we were behind with longer lockdowns during pandemic. Its still going round. A lot of older schools are not fit for purpose anymore and we have big leaky building problems. Motorways are always clogged during rush hour, and nothing is being done to stop imports of cars though people now realise electric vehicles are only really good as buggies and lime scooters. However when it rains which it so often does, oil slicks and stormwater overflows are polluting the harbour.
Its more likely a volcanic eruption here than an earthquake. Or landslides and floods thanks to development. The beaches are not so clean anymore, and many tourists dont respect the place.
I paint a not so pretty picture, on a good day its fine though
apart from the scabies epidemic in south Auckland.
We're just thankful our rates havent gone sky high. Our mayor though...we should pray for him. He's outspoken. Oh and election year. Though I dont usually talk about politics but every three years we're like whos it gonna be. After all those 'rain events' that flooded the people down stream from me. Its scary driving in a car wen there's flash flooding. Last month we planted more natives beside the river.
Today I got hailed on driving down a hill near the creek. I couldnt stop as was going down the hill. Psalm 91 helps! Thank you Lord