(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

:-/ 14 thousand people killed, and growing, in India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, malaysia, the Maldives, elsewhere.

Tsunamis are in many ways my greatest fear, in terms of natural disaster, in a practical sense. Tornados? We don't get 'em. Cyclones? Sometimes the tail-end of one, that's all. Drought? Yeah... but Sydney's across the Ditch and that tends to give one a senseof perspective every January. Flood? Sure, but not dramatic. Earthquake? Hey, I live in Wellington, I'm cool with them.

...tsunami? NZ is an island- okay, three islands- and we are low. All our cities are ports, pretty much. And this tsunami was caused by an earthquake offshore of 9.0 Richters. Just last week we had, down south, an 8.4 or 5 richter. It's not all that far off. >.<

So, well, I'm thinking a lot about the people in Southern Asia. it's so surreal, it's like some movie or something, this idea that on the other side of the planet thousands and thousands of people just died. All at once.

Comments

[mandor700.livejournal.com]

Yea I know it sux aye. 10,000 white americans die and the canceled normal programming to bring us live coverage and were still hearing about it. 14,000 (atleast) asians die and theres barely a ripple (no pun intended).

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

10,000? If you mean Sept 11 2001, try 2,992 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11,_2001_Terrorist_Attack/Casualties)

But your point is even sharper because of the disparity.

On the other hand, the facilities for live broadcast (and the logistics of getting there) militate against the current tragedy getting the same sort of coverage. For 9/11, they only had to grab a cab downtown...

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think there's a bit more than a ripple. Your point is sound, though. :(

[mandor700.livejournal.com]

Actually to be honest I just wasent thiking, but its funny I rember back in like November 2001 this letter to the editor talking about "10,000 victims"

[kuril.livejournal.com]

It was funny. News of Reggie White's death (some crazy religious american football player) came first, then news on the tsunami. This was on FoxNews, of course. But that's not to say the other networks weren't putting the right emphasis on this trajedy.

It's up to 20,000 dead now. At least, that's what the BBC is saying.

Rysade

[(Anonymous)]

Actually, I shoulda thought of this when 9/11 happened: Let everyone know that it was DEFINITELY 144,000 people who died, and then go around screaming about the apocalypse.

In this case, I'm worried that it might have actually BEEN that many. Know what Marilyn Manson says, though? "The death of one is a tragedy, the death of millions is just a statistic."

Re: Rysade

[mandor700.livejournal.com]

Actually that was Joseph Stalin, Manson must have used it. But your point is made.

Re: Rysade

[(Anonymous)]

Note to self: Manson Quotes Stalin.

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

It is pretty awesome. The impact on Asia will be extreme for some time to come, in terms of recovery, restoration and tourism costs.

I'd need to check the continental shelf map, but I suspect last week's one may have been a precursor to this one.

[sixth-light.livejournal.com]

Last week's? What have I missed? The last tsunami I remember hearing about was the one in Papa New Guinea a few years ago.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Um. We missed it because we were drunk last night, but hello, girl, go read your paper, it's front-page news.

[sixth-light.livejournal.com]

You actually think I'm that stupid? I was not referring to the Boxing Day tsunamis. I was querying nzlemming's mention of another tsunami last week, to which he has kindly provided links below - that was an undersea earthquake near Tasmania. I am well aware of Sunday's tragedy.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. ;)

You said it, not me.

Anyway, the earthquake was mentioned here too.

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

http://www.geonet.org.nz/x2342423g_l.html

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=623b92564d287b9d&cat=0b75a2fd5e16e87e because Stuff doesn't have a free archive, the bastids

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/12/25/world/9746778&sec=world

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I know- it's kinda frightening a disaster of this magnitute. In Thailand, apparently, a lot of the islands the worst affected were the tourist islands where 80% of people are non-Thai- that's going to really affect them, I mean economy-wise.

Although i despise the way media is so hung up on that. I can understand NZ media caring if NZers were involved, but beyond that, hello, tourists or he local dairy owner, the death is the same.

[mandor700.livejournal.com]

Yea, and I was just thinking, about the impact didn't it take like 6 months in Papua New Gunea just to assess the damage? Now it wont be nearly as bad in these countries because they are all in all more developed but over the next month or so with little clean water...

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Well, you just need to look at the way the death tolls keep rising... :-/

are the countries more developed? India? It's still a thrid-world country, and I would pick that as maybe the most developed in the bunch (except the tourist bit of Thailand, i suppose. Dunno about the rest of it.)

[mandor700.livejournal.com]

Yea but its on the coast of India and the coast is generally the most developed part (What d'you know? 5th form Geo did pay off for something).
But in the context on New Gunea they're quite developed by comparison.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

You reckon? hmm, I guess. It's not like I know even one thing about socio-economic growth and developement in South Asia, after all.... :P

[divinecirinde.livejournal.com]

I remember watching a video of a Tsunami in Primary School. They are so scary, it's one of my biggest fears too.


So, well, I'm thinking a lot about the people in Southern Asia. it's so surreal, it's like some movie or something, this idea that on the other side of the planet thousands and thousands of people just died. All at once.
It's really hard to comprehend that they just died. Like when it happened in Papua New Guinea it was bad but now it is worse.

[sixth-light.livejournal.com]

Flood? Sure, but not dramatic. Earthquake? Hey, I live in Wellington, I'm cool with them.

Just had to say...Manawatu? Last February? Not dramatic?

And take a look out your window, metaphorically, at Kilburnie and Rongotai. Then think about earthquakes. Then move to another city. :P

[mandor700.livejournal.com]

Yea but comparitivly speaking, With a flood what? Some rivers get bigger, some people have to be heli'd out, some houses get swamped and some country folks realise that if you live on a flood plain then it is a good idea to insure your house against flooding.
But with a tsnami all that happens in a matter of seconds not hours or days and its all the worse for it.

[nzlemming.livejournal.com]

[pedant_mode_engaged]
Actually, the indications from previous quakes in the capital are that the land over there rose about 1 metre during the 1855 earthquake (http://geography.massey.ac.nz/staff/Hesp/PDFs/PPG99.pdf page 11) and would go up again.

According to http://www.doc.govt.nz/Community/001~For-Schools/003~Field-Trips/008~Wellington/Matiu-Somes-Island/090~Formation-Of-Wellington-Harbour.asp (don't you just love their URLs!):

Matiu/Somes, Makaro/Ward, and Mokopuna, Wellington Harbour’s three islands are peaks on a ridge formed 1.5 million years ago. The Port Nicholson basin was once some distance away from the coast and rivers and streams drained across it. The basin flooded when land south-east of the Wellington fault tilted down -Wellington Harbour (now formed) submerged the ridge and created three islands.

The harbour originally had two entrances, the present one and a channel where Kilbirnie now lies. The Miramar peninsula was an island. An earthquake in 1460 linked Miramar island with the mainland. Further uplift during the major earthquake of 1855 brought Matiu/Somes higher above sea level so that much of the present shore line is surrounded by cliffs.

I remember being told that the park in Miramar used to be a lagoon even in European times, but I can't find a source for that at the moment.

And, with regard to moving (because I know where you're going), have a look at http://www.eqc.govt.nz/commiss/105.html ;-)

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Oh, well. I can take it. Can you, Lucy?

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Well, no, actually. Okay, it poured and poured and POURED for days and THEN there were floods. Wow, what a huge surprise for all ofus. I mean, it was terrible, especially for the people who got flooded, but there's also this wierd element of hey, pool party in the street. Tsunamis, on the other hand, kill people and do it fast.

And as for the earthquakes, what I really meant is okay, I know it's a really serious danger, but I've picked up the Wellington habit of being blase about it. Because we're so overdue, and because frankly we can't do anything about it, and it's the huge hanging threat, we tend to just ignore the possibility, and condescend to anyone who's scared of our baby quakes. ;)