Today, I travelled back into an area that was being covered by our door knock teams for the first time since February 22nd. Seaside town/suburb of Sumner is situated between a beautiful coastline and the side of some spectacular rocky cliffs. What I find extraordinary about Sumner and surrounding neighbourhoods is that they are built up the side of steep slopes with many houses literally cut into the hillside. Although, these homes offer some stunning coastal views, one would have to wonder how much this view is worth in such a vicarious location where earthquakes are commonplace.
As we travelled along the coastal road, the devastation of the earthquake became immediately evident as we passed rockslides with boulders the size of cars laying on the side of the road. In several locations where the cliff face is still unstable, shipping containers filled with concrete blocks are stacked up to protect motorists from falling rocks. When I drove through this town the other day to deliver a Care Card, I only had my phone camera and got a few dodgy photos. Today, I had my Canon EOS 300D :) and was able to capture some amazing photos (this is where I live with tension between being a curious photographer and concerned humanitarian).
One particular house that is situated hard up against the base of a cliff was completely wiped out down one side. It is believed that one of the listed missing people may still be in there, but the area is too unstable to do any serious excavation. If the boulders on the side of the road weren't big enough, I saw an astonishing sight in the middle of town, with a boulder the size of a house laying alongside some clubrooms. The sound of these rocks and landslides coming down the hillside into this peaceful township must have been nothing short of terrifying!! I heard stories of rocks not just tumbling down the side of the hill but being catapulted into the streets, leaving massive craters from their initial impact. A local surfer was out on the surf when the earthquake hit and witnessed these landslides while feeling the effect of the quake out on the water.
Just when I thought I had seen the full effect of the damage in the suburbs, Sumner has redefined the devastation of this earthquake.
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