Did the earth move for you?

No time for photoblogging this weekend, we've been catching up with chores. However, my mind has continued on the landslip theme, but this time because we had a newsworthy earthquake today.

There are about 15,000 recorded earthquakes in New Zealand every year, with between 100 and 150 big enough or shallow enough, to be felt. The reason for this activity is our position on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.

I experienced my first earthquake in my first few days of arrival. It was a strange experience with most of the furniture swaying before my eyes before I realised what it was. Given I was probably still jet lagged I panicked thinking it was a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) kicking in.

After several months of periodic quakes we've become accustomed to the movement and simply hold out breaths for a few seconds and hope that this is not the big one. Today was significant enough for it to make it to the news - 5.9 on the richter scale and only 100km underground it certainly made the furniture sway this time.

Much is made here about preparation for the big one - you need to have your emergency pack ready (tinned foods, water, clothes and first aid kit to name a few, together with your crisis management plan with family as to where you'll rendevous). Quake protection your home is also a big thing (like tying down your water tanks and blue tacking your ornaments.

I have most of what we would need but haven't yet made it into my emergency pack - after all, you never know whether where you finally store it will be accessible in the event. Some Wellingtonians have a special pack at work too - a small backpack of essentials, including socks and trainers for walking home or to safer ground.

We are due to have the next "big one" in about the next 100 years so you need to be prepared. Here's a story about the last big one to hit http://www.eq-iq.org.nz/eq-intro/eq-stories/eq-stories-thebigone.aspx

So think on about when the earth next moves for you - it might be a quake, or maybe not!