Rebuilding from rubble – lessons learned help New Zealand be better prepared

Between September 2010 and December 2011, a series of powerful earthquakes wreaked devastation in New Zealand’s Canterbury region, particularly in Christchurch. What has been the country’s response and what role can standards play in the face of natural disasters?

On 4 September 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the city of Christchurch and the surrounding region of Canterbury. This earthquake triggered a rippling effect throughout the region, with major earthquakes occurring on 26 December 2010, 22 February 2011, 13 June 2011, and 23 December 2011.

GNS Science, New Zealand’s leading seismic hazards research organization, says the ground accelerations in Christchurch on 22 February 2011 were the largest ever recorded for a New Zealand earthquake.