It's Wellington's Fault!
A fault runs through Wellington, New Zealand's capital city (Wellington Fault) and another just to its west (Ohariu fault) and another to the East (Wairarapa Fault). The Wellington fault is so obvious, it is easily seen from the air.
Tron has earthquake-strengthened many buildings in the Wellington region. We know what needs to be done.
The last major urban natural disaster was the 1931 earthquake in Hawkes Bay. Few people still alive remember that incident first-hand. Unfortunately, a new generation of Kiwis may experience a similar situation in their lifetimes. An unpublished report from a government research bureau suggests that the largest likely disaster in the foreseeable future would be a 7.5M earthquake centred on the nation’s capital, Wellington.
What might happen in the event of such an occurrence? Scientists say It could result in the deaths of 1,500 - 2,000 people in the region and 5 or more times as many injuries as fatalies. The cost in lives is incalculable, but the economic cost is not: the damage could be as high as $10 billion.
Another government research agency report puts the chance of an 8M earthquake along the South Island's major Alpine fault at close to 70% over the next generation.
The danger an earthquake can pose cannot be ignored.
Is there something you can do to prepare?
Ask yourself these questions:
Would an earthquake danage my home?
According to the Building Act 1991 Section 66:
A building is earthquake-prone if it is made either wholly or substantially of reinforced concrete or masonry, or if it will have its ultimate load capacity exceeded in a moderate earthquake and is therefore likely to collapse causing injury or death to the people inside.
Is your home at risk? Do you have an unbraced chimney? A large water tank? Tall, unbraced pieces of furniture such as bookcases? Suspended ceilings? A heavy chandelier? Is there anything near your house - such as boulders, a masonry building, an overhead cable - that could be damaged and fall your way?
Do you live in a particularly vulnerable zone?
Your regional council will have maps showing the areas most likely to experience damage (see Wellington Regional Hazard Maps, an external site), such as the reclaimed land around Wellington's waterfront. When water-saturated sediment is shaken, it may respond by behaving briefly like a liquid. Buildings in such an area, while otherwise secure, may tilt dangerously.
It is also important to know the location of underground pipes and to be familiar with any fault lines in your area as the ground nay rupture around a fault line.
The image above was sourced from http://www.gns.cri.nz/who/globe/globejun02.pdf amd information for this article was supplied by the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences.
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