Emergency 101

I’ve attended many emergency preparedness classes offered by Relief Societies in my day.  I have listened and heard, but some of it has gone in one ear and out the other.  The situation in Christchurch following the February 22 earthquake has helped me see how important that information is.  There are certain things that are essential, others would just make life more pleasant.  We are in the part of town which sustained the least damage.  We spend our time in buildings that are quite earthquake proof, for they have withstood all of the previous rumblings with very little damage.  So, realizing that we have many amenities that others do not, I still present my list of necessities.

#1 WATER.  To my children—if you have not filled up those 50 gallon drums we gave you for Christmas a while ago, do so now!  Even though we are part of the 20% of the population to have water restored, it has to be boiled before we can drink it or use it to wash dishes, etc.  Because our mission president has been adamant about all his missionaries having a 72 hour emergency kit, John has been filling every used container with water.  We have a good supply of drinking water and I’m grateful for that.  However, for those with no water stored, drinking water has to be trucked into the city and people must wait in long lines to receive it.  Bottled water in the stores is completely gone. 

The water situation is a difficult one for someone like me with OCD (of the cleanliness variety) and hypochondria (I hear about the fear of bacteria born diseases from contaminated water and think maybe I have cholera).  The pumps that pump sewage to the facilities are gone, and so the sewage is getting into the rivers.  They are afraid that water will seep down and contaminate the drinking water.  Which leads me to #2 on my list…

#2 PORT-A-POTTY.  Again, to my children—some day that wonderful port-a-potty we gave you for Christmas one year, might become your most valuable asset.  We have been told not to flush our toilets and to dig a hole in the back yard.  When Vicky Steenblik gave her lesson on being prepared for just this type of thing, I ran right out and bought everything on her list.  Mine is downstairs in my basement in Bountiful—I should have made it part of my 100 pounds of luggage I got to bring.  Martin Bourne has been very resourceful and I am extremely jealous of the loo he made for his family.  They said we could use it any time, but it is rather inconvenient—a 15 minute walk from our flat.

Nice private spot in the backyard…

Sheltered from the elements…

All that is necessary to take care of business.

#3 BATTERY OPERATED RADIO AND FLASHLIGHTS WITH BATTERIES IN THEM.  Right after the earthquake there was no power for about 6 or 7 hours, at least for us.  40% of the city is still without power after 48 hours.  The pitch darkness can be very frightening—working flashlights are a good thing.  Also, we knew that the quake had been a bad one, we could not get away from the institute building because the traffic was horrendous, and we had no way of knowing what was going on in other parts of the city.  Many of the students had family spread all over and they were eager to hear what was going on.  The phone systems became jammed immediately, and yesterday, people were still receiving texts that had been sent 24 hours earlier.  We did listen to the radios in our cars.  They were our only access to news.  I received a call on our cell phone from Jill about 2 hours after the quake.  She told me of the news coverage she was watching.  Hers was the first sense we had of the awful destruction.  News gets to people outside the emergency zone, but a radio is very useful for those in the middle of the mess.

#4  A CAR FULL OF FUEL.  You know those people who never let their car be less than 1/2 full?  They’re brilliant.  We have very little gas and, should we have to leave this area in a hurry, we would be out of luck.  For two days we have been trying to find a gas station that is open.  We finally found one this morning, but had to wait in a long line and we found that those who didn’t go out early this morning are out of luck.  Most of the gas stations have signs out, “NO FUEL”.

We did not have to drive anywhere on the day of the quake, but those who did said it was horrible.  It took them hours to cover a distance that usually takes minutes.  It would have been horrible to be stuck in a traffic jam and run out of fuel.

This bumper to bumper traffic in front of the institute went on for hours after the quake.  People who traveled across town said there were holes the size of swimming pools in the road with cars in them.

Lines to get into the gas station.  This line was shorter than most because they were only selling diesel.

#5 FUEL FOR COOKING.  Fill an extra tank for your BBQ grill.  Our friends the Bells live on the east side of the city, a part of town that got hit hard.  They have three children with their families who live very near them.  Two of their three children’s homes were destroyed.  They are living in tents in their backyards.  The Bell’s house weathered the shaking well, but they are still without water or electricity and we heard on the news that it might be well over a week before they get it back on.  They can’t drink the water without boiling it, and they need fuel to boil the water.  I think the Bells are going to move in with us for a while and I wish they’d bring their kids, too. 

#6 FOOD.  I put this a little further down the list because I am amazed at how far you can stretch food that you have at home.  Our fridge was nearly empty and our cupboards were bare, but we could keep ourselves going pretty well and the grocery stores were the first things to open up.  It was interesting as we shopped this morning to see what was not available in the store—the basics.  There was very little flour and the bottled water and milk were completely gone.  Have the basics and some cans of food that don’t need to be cooked.

We have all been advised to stay home, to drive as little as possible, and to stay away from the central city.  We have still not seen the damage personally—we see what is on TV and we hear from people who have driven through.  The army is out and police arrest people who go into the CBD (central business district).  It is dangerous and they are still attempting to recover missing people from the rubble.  They have also suggested that anyone who can, should leave the city.  They have offered very inexpensive domestic flights and the airport is flying people out by the thousands.  Many are going, but that is not a possibility for so many more.   The schools and universities are out indefinitely.  I’m very worried about what will happen to this city.  So many people will be without jobs and without places to live.  There will be a severe housing shortage—I think I heard on the news last night that 2 out of 3 homes were damaged. 

We still haven’t heard from many of our students.  We know that Patty’s house was destroyed, and we have heard that there was no loss of life amongst the members.  The church buildings, however, are a different story.  The September earthquake left two of the four churches in the city uninhabitable.  We have heard that this one may have wiped out the other two.  No word yet on whether there will be church meetings on Sunday.  We are planning on institute tonight for all who are still left in Christchurch and would like to be with their friends. 

Those of you have been reading this blog all along might remember a part of town called Lyttleton where the main port or harbor for Christchurch is located (December 4th blog).  The epicenter for this quake was in Lyttleton and that little town that reminded me of Park City is mostly destroyed.  Also, in that same blog, are pictures of Canterbury Cathedral, a beautiful building and one of Christchurch’s famous landmarks.  It was destroyed.  In my November 27th blog I showed pictures of Sumner, one of our favorite spots with a beautiful beach.  It, too, sustained major damage.

The aftershocks continue, but there don’t seem to be as many—either that or we’re getting used to them.  We are blessed to have such good and kind friends.  The Bournes have fed us and offered the use of their loo.  The young adults have checked on us and been concerned about our well-being.  The Bells keep us entertained and laughing.  Our friends and family at home have been so concerned and we have loved hearing from so many of you.  We have been spared, but so many have not.  It is heartbreaking to watch people still waiting and hoping that their loved ones will be found alive.  Life is such a blessing.  Hug those who are close to you, and hug my family for me if you see them.  We love you all so much!

We are still planning our trip down south this coming weekend.  It will be nice to have a daily shower and to use flushing toilets.