New Zealand Earthquake 9/4/10

     A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the south island of New Zealand on the morning of September 4. This earthquake was an aftershock of the 7.0 earthquake that had hit the evening before.  Of the several cities damaged by the aftershock, Christchurch was one of the worst. Since the 7.1 earthquake, many more aftershock quakes have hit the area. The estimated rebuilding cost is about 4 billion New Zealand dollars just for the city of Christchurch.
     There have been no fatalities so far and only two people injured, but the damage done to the southern island is devastating. Homes are destroyed, cars smashed, and streets broken up. People's lives have been abruptly disrupted by the quake, and the aftershocks are making it hard for an normalcy to return. There were some reports of people robbing shops that had been damaged, but these looters were stopped quickly. Also the rebuilding of Christchurch will take time and a lot of money, which is bound to have a negative impact on the people. All in all, however, the people of the southern island were relatively physically unharmed and, in my opinion, that is what matters most. But the repercussions of this quake and its aftershocks could harm the economy and the people's health, whether it be psychological damage due to witnessing the quake or, as suggested by guardian.co.uk, poisoned groundwater due to a damaged sewer system.
     According to the USGS website, there had been an earthquake the night before in New Zealand, so perhaps people could have been more prepared for the quake. Other than that, New Zealand often experiences earthquakes, and therefore the people know how to handle themselves in that situation, which is apparent because only two people have been severely injured.



Links:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/08/christchurch-new-zealand-_n_708742.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSRTR2HZ86

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQRjyuI6Pc4hlaaxS-tjgOlct2pw

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/04/earthquake-christchurch-new-zealand