The Moment
Looking up as the roof came down, I honestly believed I was dead. Then I was in darkness in an area no larger than a coffin.
Christchurch, one year after February 22, 2011
credit: www.earthquakephoto.co.nz
That Day
The Prime Minister
"Immediately, I thought of my sister and her family who live in Christchurch. I sent her a text asking if she was ok."
Key Numbers
seconds of shaking
The First Texts
“Mum, there's dead bodies”
read more
Key Numbers
died as a result
Our People
The Abseiler
The choice was stark, stay in a shuddering high rise, or attempt to abseil six storeys to freedom
The Mother
Crushed and broken, Jane Taylor willed herself to survive to save her family from another tragedy.
The Love Story
"Helen, I miss making your cup of tea... I miss leg-wrestling challenges... Most of all, I simply miss you."
Key Numbers
dependent children
lost a parent
The Earth
Could the devastating faultline have been detected sooner?
What clues were there to the existence of the Port Hills Fault before February 22? The fault was unusually strong, which meant when it broke it released more energy, like snapping a piece of plywood in half rather than a sheet of polystyrene.
Key Numbers
kilometres per second, the speed the quake ripped through the city
quakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater since February 22
Why did the Port Hills fault line rupture?
Often touted before September 4, 2010 as a region with low seismicity, Canterbury has had more than its share of large earthquakes during the past 150 years.
Reflection
‘Manifold sins’ cost 12 lives
It was hard to stop crying after I read the history of the building that crushed us
Key Numbers
for an Avon River park
commercial buildings
to be demolished in Christchurch
Your stories
"I miss the baked potato place in Shades Arcade. I had just filled up my loyalty card so was looking forward to my free potato." read more...
The Future
Suzie Vesper, Resident
Christchurch 2013: A city rebuilds
In a year Christchurch has changed almost beyond recognition. In another year, the transformation could be equally dramatic as the city picks itself up and rebuilds. Ben Heather visits a day in the life of Christchurch, February, 2013
Key Numbers
Price tag on
Christchurch City
Council's plans to
rebuild a new
"city in a garden"
Undaunted, we came back
"Yes, we acknowledge there is a risk that this quake sequence may still have a sting in its tail. The two of us joined the 6.0 club back in December; small beer compared with what most of you have been through."
© 2012 Fairfax New Zealand Limited