Amy Adams on the Earthquake
September 9th, 2010 at 3:45 pm by David FarrarTrevor Mallard highlighted this speech from Amy Adams, which he rightly said captures the anguish of so many in Canterbury.
Because no one died, it is tempting to downplay the impact of the earthquake, or in fact earthquakes in Canterbury. I recommend people listen to Amy’s speech.
Amy also blogged a couple of days ago on the quake:
The early hours of Saturday morning were without doubt some of the scariest of my life. Wrenched from deep sleep by violent tremors and a deafening roar, the mind can’t even comprehend what is happening.
Once I realised it was an earthquake the next thought was quite simply that we were going to die. There just didn’t seem any way the house could withstand the forces throwing it around. In those moments your instinct is simply to reach out for your family.
Grabbing my husband we both started screaming out to my daughter (my son was thankfully away in a safe area) and as soon as we could stand we pushed through debris in total blackness to my daughter’s room. Later when the sun came up I would learn that the fish tank that flew across her room missed her head by mere inches before crashing on the bed post but at that moment the priority was getting everyone into the kitchen and under our very solid table.
In the darkness the house felt totally unfamiliar and progress was slow picking our way through the remains of our once treasured possessions. In bare feet broken glass was the biggest challenge and once we reached the table it felt like a refuge. We huddled together there for a while before venturing out for blankets, shoes and our civil defence kit which luckily enough we had.
Treasury are now talking $4 billion as the total cost.
Related posts:
- The Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Bill
- Earthquake Facts
- The earthquake recovery tsar
- Armstrong on Earthquake response
September 9th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
This fine young mother is already a great politician. What a contrast to the National turkey who preceded her in the electorate. And to the Valkyries of the recent Labour Government. I hope Amy Adams becomes a prime minister.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
What a powerful speech – but an shame the the House itself was virtually empty. I hope this video gets extensive coverage via the Blogosphere.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Amy was close to the epicentre as I understand it.
The noise is unbelievable. I was awake when it hit (does of delhi belly – timing could not be worse, especially as the water was out afterwards). I went for the hide under the covers routine – not very effective but a moot point as once realising how bad it was impossible to move. Heavy ornamental bedside lamp missed head by a couple of inches. Worst over but the house just kept rocking – probably another 90 seconds. Power out and total darkness – a rare thing in the middle of town. Phones still going – nothing on CD website and then a check to Wellington – if we were this bad what had happened there? Discover plasma destroyed, headlamp where I left it and emergency plan put into action in case quick evac needed. Slight hitch with pantry door being jammed but managed to get dried food out. Fill water bottles with what is left in the pipes – trying to reassure people that ok but protect cellphone battery life as no idea how long power would be down. And the aftershocks kept coming – one when I was on the throne being particularly disconcerting. Have to travel into the city to get a friend who’s hotel has been broken – pass my old diary – now a pile of bricks – no traffic lights and chimneys on the ground everywhere. Amazed no one died.
Later that day started to realise just how unfun that event was.
Aftershocks are a killer. I don’t regard myself as being easily fazed but the aftershocks interrupt sleep and leave everyone on edge. My PA has done the bolt to Melbourne – every wind gust sounds like the rumble of the Earth and every truck going past, just for half a second, leaves the thought of “here we go again”.
Today first relatively normal day – nothing much over 4 and even some 2s (which no longer qualify as earthquakes in my view). Work ran more or less the whole day although bags under the eyes seem to be the new fashion accessory.
I think the bit that will never leave me is the noise – not so much the things smashing but the incredible roar.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Truly remarkable. The Gweens manage to turn the Christchurch earthquake into an anti-Israel hate fest.
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/09/09/1-the-2010-christchurch-experience/
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
@swiftman..and did you notice who has left the only comment….
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Anyone bothered to look at http://thestandard.org.nz/ recently? I didn’t think they could sink lower, but they have outdone themselves with their articles. Their authors need to spend a couple of nights in a Chch shelter.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
@swiftman – I was actually about to say that I thought his speech in the house impressed me.
@G_ yes, I have. They seem to have some significant blind spots in some areas. I made a comment on the bureaucracy post, and even though the answer brilliantly showed the problem no one seemed to have any concept that bureaucrats could abuse their position and cause extra stress for people trying to rebuild.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
ANYTHING that mallard post can only make me vomit.
Vote:CHRISTCHURCH deserves better than speeches from Wellington,it deserves the best of times,no speech or comment from a polly.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
“the mind can’t even comprehend what is happening.”
God, that is right on par with including “The blah blah dictionary defines blah as blah blah” in your speech introduction. Seriously, what rubbish.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Bed Rater: you uncharitable unfeeling prat. Amy proffers a heartrending firsthand account of how it is, being literally in the centre of this disaster and you say “what rubbish”.
Says so much more about you and your ilk than anything else.
Next you’ll be berating Key for simply seeking out photo opportunities.
Where’s Wally, er, I mean Phil?
Amy’s speech was heroic.
Vote:September 9th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Well done Amy, I didn’t know who you were until this post but you have summed up the situation in CHCH perfectly.
Vote:September 10th, 2010 at 3:07 am
Just getting to Wellington was pretty gutsy without the seriously heartfelt personal account
Vote:We were in a mobile home at McLeans Island and that was a very different experience.
September 10th, 2010 at 3:07 am
Bravo Amy!! The only way that I can describe the experience to people here in the US (I had the misfortune to time my arrival in Chch on the last flight from Sydney late Friday night) was to say that it was like a freight train drove up your driveway for a minute – and that probably UNDERSTATES the extent of the noise and shaking. I clung to the bedpost as this seemingly endless cacophany was played out not knowing if the roof would cave in on me.
It seemed to me after a miracle that the house (weatherboard built in 1950 in Bryndwr) was not only still standing but had no structural damage. We realised we were the lucky ones as a trip to the beach with my nephews later on Saturday revealed the horror of liquifaction that has befallen those who live in the eastern suburbs.
In the end the flat screen TV that fell from its perch was undamaged, the books that fell from the bookshelf were easily reshelved and a few photos in glass frames broke – total cost maybe $100 and not even worth a claim. The combination of the clay soil and gravel from being in the old path of the Waimakariri saved my old neighbourhood.
The effect on children cannot be underestimated. The more resiliant 4 year old sees it as an adventure (a giant came and shook the house) a more fragile 7 year old is freaked out by each major aftershock and runs for a door jam or outside, the teenage girls overreacting to every silly rumour on Facebook or a text from friends. My poor sister has to take a pee after each aftershock due to a nervous reaction and she’s a tough personality.
The first 2 nights I was able to sleep through partly due to the sleep deprivation of Saturday night but by Monday night the nightime aftershocks are of a magnitude to wake everyone up – this means children out of bed and each one a reliving of the Saturday morning disaster. Above all is the fear that one of these aftershocks will be as big and as bad (or worse) than the original. As time goes by we learn of friends across the city who live on less stable soil who find that the latest aftershock is the straw that broke the camel’s back for their house – that is the uncertainty (and the employment/small business threats) that Amy so eloquently detailed.
Vote: