It is four years today since the first earthquake struck Canterbury, just after 4.30am. Although it measured 7.1 on the Richter scale, it was not the worst earthquake. This is partly because the centre of the earthquake was 30km to the west of the city.
Listen to September 4th 2010 to hear more about this earthquake.
On February 22nd, the following year, a 6.3 earthquake killed 185 people. It was right in the middle of the city, in the middle of the day.
However, the first earthquake damaged a lot of homes and today people are wondering how long it will take before their homes are repaired or replaced. Although 5,000 homes in the Red Zone have been demolished, many people are still waiting for insurance to repair or replace their home. It could be another two years, at least. Many people have moved outside the city, about 30 minutes away by car.
The February earthquake caused major damage in the central city. Nearly the whole CBD was badly damaged. 900 buildings have now been demolished. Some new buildings are finished in one street. The city is mostly full of empty sections. There are a lot of machines at work, demolishing or building. Many roads are closed or now only one lane.
It is taking a long time. Some people say it will take 10 years, others say 20 years. However, people who work in the city say that they see changes every day. This time next year it will look different.
Vocabulary
• strike (v) struck (past) – hit. Used when a major disaster happens.
• major (adj) – (opposite: minor) – very big, very important
• Red Zone – the area where the government bought the houses to demolish
• demolish (v), demolition (n) – push down using a machine, break completely
• CBD – Central Business District