The 2013 Seddon earthquake measured 6.5 on the Mww scale and was centred in New Zealand's Cook Strait, around 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the town of Seddon in Marlborough. The earthquake struck at 5:09 pm on Sunday 21 July 2013 (05:09 UTC) at a depth of 13 kilometres (8 mi), according to GeoNet.[2] The United States Geological Survey also measured the quake at 6.5, at a depth of 17 kilometres (11 mi).[3] The quake caused moderate damage in the wider Marlborough area and Wellington, the nation's capital city 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of the epicentre. Only minor injuries were reported. Several aftershocks occurred during 21–29 July.
The quake resulted in varying degrees of damage to 35 buildings within the Wellington CBD with glass from broken windows falling onto the main thoroughfares of Lambton Quay, Featherston Street, and Willis Street. Damage was also caused in Paraparaumu, Wainuiomata, Porirua and the Hutt Valley in the North Island.[17][18] By July 2014, the Earthquake Commission had paid out a total $23.4 million for 8,221 claims in response to the July and August earthquakes.[19]
The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office was activated on the evening of 21 July, as were those in the lower part of the North Island.[17] On 22 July parts of Wellington's central business district were closed to the public to allow for inspections to buildings with damaged and potentially dangerous façades.[20]
Four people were injured in the quake, which lasted for 20 seconds, blowing out windows, cracking concrete and swaying buildings.[1]
To clean up the mess, a Facebook group of over 300 Wellington students was created, named Student Volunteer Army Wellington. It was inspired by the Student Volunteer Army in Christchurch, created in response to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[21]
Response
After the earthquake, the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office started organising a Long Walk Home event, where people walk 30kilometres from central Wellington to Mana, to simulate an scenario where roads and public transport are unusable.[22]
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