Christchurch

Yesterday was day 8. There were 200 homes in Sumner and Redcliffs which were evacuated and all but 20 households were able to return to their homes. The cordon in the main street has been removed. There has been one more death confirmed and the victim identification process is going along slowly. The good news is that 86% of the city’s power is back on and this is being achieved by the extensive use of generators and re-routing of transformers and reconfiguration of overhead wiring. There are still 28,000 homes without power.

Mayor Parker said that he was unaware of asbestos dust being an issue but said it had the potential to impact on the city. He advised people to wear masks or a rag over their face during the high winds.

There is no plumbing in the New Brighton and Sumner areas and the National Civil Defence Coordinator said the ‘sea is full of sewage’.

A 2 minute silence was observed at the Arts Centre attended by the staff working on the earthquake and many politicians including the prime Minister. The ceremony moved many staff.

The Welfare Centre Coordinators report that there is an increasing demand for food in the Welfare Centres. People are not staying but using the centres for support during the day and going home at night. Authorities are considering ‘what next’ for people staying in the Welfare Centres and to this end they are considering closing all but one centre. Welfare groups are working with families to get them to either return home or to move to some other semi-permanent housing.

Community groups are starting to form around the Welfare Centres and leaders are beginning to make local arrangements for people. The Salvation Army will be providing meals in New Brighton for 500 people from tomorrow. To date The Salvation Army has provided 2850 meals

The Psychosocial Support Team Coordinators had several teams in the field today. There were 90 Salvation Army personnel operating in the Eastern Suburbs. They provided emotional support to residents and identified any material needs or more complex issues such as people suffering anxiety and stress, those who have run out of their medication, those who need assistance to get to the doctor and the elderly living in isolation. 14 Salvation Army personnel followed up these cases in the Flying Squad. Another 30 Officers were based in 4 welfare centres and a further 20 Officers who arrived during the day went door-to-door in affected suburbs. There were reports of elderly who have been isolated from their families and in a high level of distress.

Some of the cases being encountered demonstrate a high level of deprivation and vulnerability. For example a family was visited by a Salvation Army Officer where an 18 year old youth was caring for his wheelchair bound mother and two intellectually disabled adult siblings without sewage or water connected and a damaged house.

The CCC Health and Safety Officers have asked for The Salvation Army’s assistance to support contractors who are removing rubble and pulling down damaged buildings. We are getting more information on this as to numbers and locations, but our SoS Vehicle may be perfect for visiting these folk and assisting.

Today he Community Ministry staff handled a high volume of work, slightly less than the day before. They took the time to stock up on food parcels and had a full compliment of 800 ready for tomorrow by the end of the day.

The Linwood Centre responded to requests from the Emergency Operations Centre from the Op. Suburbs teams in the field. We provided 479 food parcels to families, of these 232 were ‘walk ups’. We provided food parcels and bulk food equivalent to 529 food parcels overall today.

Work is being done to find a larger distribution centre and office space for several Salvation Army functions. We are in discussion with Ngai Tahu over various options which are or will become available.

There are several Corps in the South Island, particularly in Nelson providing meet and greet and support to families who have left Christchurch. It is reported that 5000 residents have relocated to Timaru. We have had reports of increased Community Ministry activity in North Island Corps as well assisting people who have relocated in other towns and cities fleeing from the aftermath of the earthquake.

The student army today delivered thousands of FAQ sheets to households in Parklands, Woolston, St Albans, Shirley and Mairehau. Another 120,000 FAQ pamphlets will be delivered tomorrow to residents in the most affected suburbs. The pamphlets are being translated into Chinese and Korean and packs are being prepared to give to the Operation Suburbs Salvation Army people in the field to be available.

Information signs are also being prepared and will be deployed in key parks on Wednesday.
Residential property inspections report that 12,250 properties were safety assessed by 2pmtoday

1444 properties have been red stickered;
2113 properties have been yellow stickered and
8693 properties have been green stickered.

From today parts of the city's water supply will be chlorinated to kill disease-causing bacteria. This is due to infrastructure damage to sewerage and water pipes following the earthquake. The public are still advised to boil water for drinking and brushing teeth until further notice.
The stabilisation work was completed today. Search and rescue teams have entered the building and reached the fifth floor and will continue their work this evening. Nearby buildings in the potential collapse zone have also been searched.

Work crews and volunteers are continuing to remove silt from roads across the city. By Monday night 120,000 tonnes of silt had been collected with the estimated total amount revised upwards to more than 200,000 tonnes.

Water supplies will be intermittent for the next two to three weeks. When suply is initially restored it may be turned off again soon after to repair any leaks, particularly in the eastern part of the city.

Limited postal services resumed today (Tuesday 1 March), primarily in the northern and western areas of Christchurch.

A total fire ban for open-air fires has been declared by the National Rural Fire Officer across Canterbury for the next 48 hours from midday today, due to high winds forecast.

The number of confirmed dead has increased by one to 155. Police still expect that number to increase.

Police are ready to release the names of several further victims, as soon as the families give their consent.

It's great that people are starting to return to some of their normal routines - but we have some serious traffic management issues and we need everyone's help to keep our streets as clear as possible.

The South Island Salvation Army Divisional Commander says, “The aftershocks continue to shake the city and disturb and frighten people as they become full of uncertainty about what will happen in the future. We thought that another big earthquake would not happen in Christchurchfor a long time; but it did. I am reminded that the only thing we can rely on is God’s love and his powerful presence. It is God who is stable. We can depend on God’s presence to guide and uplift us in this difficult time as we go out to rebuild our own lives and help others to see the great future that God has planned for us and this city.

Again, I urge you to look after yourselves and your fellow workers tomorrow, as you approach the tasks we have been assigned in the love and service of Christ. Keep going."