It is five years today since the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch. The shaking was so strong that it was almost impossible to walk. It was like being in a boat during a storm. Amazingly, no one was killed in that earthquake. There was damage to buildings and some liquefaction but it was minor in comparison to what happened five and a half months later. The February 2011 earthquake killed 185 people and left Christchurch a broken city. It is still a broken city but now there are some signs of progress.
Useful expressions
struck (past of strike) – a storm or an earthquake strikes a place, hits a place
it was so strong that (it was so + adjective that)
it was minor in comparison to
Listen to these posts from September 2010 to hear all about the first earthquake.
Earthquake hits Canterbury
After the earthquake
Some earthquake facts
Earthquake aftershocks
Economic Impact of Earthquake
A Week After the Earthquake Hear about the damage.
Which Buildings Survived the Earthquake? Hear also about liquefaction.