Disaster struck

You will truly never know when a disaster will hit.

Last Saturday, we woke up to a sunny morning. Winter weekends can be such a drag so when we see the sun up and about on a Saturday, spending the time outdoors is almost inevitable. Sure enough, we received a phone call from a family friend inviting us to soak up some sun in the park. My wife thought about our other friends and proceeded to ring them up. That's when we learned that there was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch at around 4:30AM!

We immediately tuned in to the news and saw the destruction. It was surreal, seeing those photos about an earthquake that happened in the South Island, so close to where we are and yet outside it's a shining as if it was another ordinary day.

Not so for the people in Christchurch... but it's a miracle that no one was killed.



This disaster has jolted us back to reality that an earthquake can happen when we expect it the least, and that we need to prepare for it by:
- allocating provisions of food, water and shelter
- having a disaster coordination plan in place in the family and with friends.

This disaster also reminded me of the major earthquake in Baguio City whose 20th anniversary was "celebrated" last June and frankly it's something I would rather not experience again.  But prepare we must.

My wife has allocated some foodstuffs and water, and we are currently on the lookout for a good tent just in case. And a portable stove.

Incidentally, New Zealand has a website that provides useful information in disaster preparedness. The Get Thru website also includes a checklist of things we need and to cope with a disaster for up to 3 days. There's information that not only people here in New Zealand but also in other countries can make use of.

Photo credit: Stuff.co.nz. View other photos and news in the Stuff.co.nz website