Christchurch Quake Damage in Billions

The Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake has left behind billions of dollars of damage. The 7.0+ magnitude quake is the strongest to hit the South Island location in 80 years. Two men were seriously injured. No one died in the disaster that residents says is characterized more by the massive booming noise than by the shaking.

Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake

In the city 340,000 Mayor Bob Parker said this:

There would not be a house, there would not be a family in our city that has not in some way have damage done to their person, to their property."

From The Australian:

New Zealand sits on the so-called “Ring of Fire”, the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year. It averages at least one a day that is magnitude 4.0 or stronger.

Meanwhile, as residents took stock of the quake damage they also had an eye on looming bad weather with destructive gale-force winds up to 130 kilometres (80 miles) an hour predicted to arrive tomorrow.

Parker believes they will find significant damage below ground. A falling chimney hit one of the seriously injured and the other was cut by falling glass. This quake was the most destructive since 1931 when 296 died in Hawke's Bay.

See original reporting here.