You might
be thinking that this post belongs in a different blog, but there is a connection,
and it is one of the earth’s largest – the Pacific Plate. Point Reyes lies at its eastern edge where it
grinds against the American Plate, while Christchurch lies at the western edge,
some 7000 miles away. Both regions, consequently, are prone to
earthquakes.
On our
holiday visit to New Zealand, Annie and I spent one day in Christchurch to
witness the revival of a city devastated by an earthquake in 2011. Setting aside the marvel of the “cardboard
cathedral”, whose ceiling is supported by massive cardboard dowels, and a
“restart” shopping area, colorfully constructed out of shipping containers, the
city brought to my mind photos of Dresden bombed during WWII. Block after block of the “downtown” area were
reduced to empty lots now inhabited only by wild-flowers and native
plants. What buildings that remained
were empty, boarded up, and slated for destruction. One large theater was completely stripped in
half, exposing all the seats to view.
Several architecturally important facades, including that of the
theater, were stabilized by stacks of shipping containers, filled with water,
to prevent their tumbling forward. Three
years out from the earthquake, the city is still in shambles, with its
residents frustrated by how long it is taking to rebuild their once beautiful
city.
It was a
sobering thought for someone who lives on the San Andreas Fault.
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