Aerial Reconnaissance Finds Little Evidence of earthquake

 A small number of slips on steep Fiordland mountainsides were the only evidence of last night’s earthquake that Southland Civil Defence staff found during today’s aerial reconnaissance.

Group Controller Neil Cruickshank said that his team flew over the epicentre of the quake searching for damage, but found little.

A second wave of aftershocks measuring over 5 on the Richter Scale has been felt in Fiordland in the last hour, but neither they nor last night’s 7.8 magnitude quake appear to have caused significant property damage.

The Department of Conservation is continuing to check its huts and tracks, and the Southland District Council and the Transport Agency have been assessing roads and bridges for possible damage, but there are no reported problems.

Mr Cruickshank said that the Earthquake Commission (EQC) has begun receiving claims for property damage, and he said that anyone who had concerns about the structural integrity of their buildings should contact their local Council (Invercargill City or the Southland or Gore District).

Two small tsunami were recorded on the coast after the earthquake last night; a 30cm wave at Dog Island near Bluff and a 17cm wave at Jackson’s Bay on the Fiordland / Westland coast.

Up to 10 staff are still manning the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre, and Mr Cruickshank said the CDEM Group was continuing to monitor and assess the aftermath of the earthquake.

“This was a very large earthquake and it will have shaken many people out of complacency. It is worth noting that this quake was not on the Alpine Fault, and we remain at risk from a significant earthquake from that faultline,” Mr Cruickshank said. Contact Michele Poole, Public Information Manager Southland CDEMG 021 784 964

View 7.8 Earthquake in Fiordland and aftershocks in a larger map