Google App to help locate people in Christchurch quake - UPDATED

The simple tool above provides a low-tech bodge to help people locate missing friends and family in Christchurch following today's terrible earthquake. In every disaster, those on the outside all worry about our loved ones and those within all want to assuage the worries of their friends away.

Update: Some more tools for people in Christchurch and their loved ones:

* canterburyearthquake.govt.nz (information resource) (Thanks, @Tobiasopdenbrou)
* Sahana/Ushahisi instance (Thanks, Aenertia)
* Couchsurfing accommodation offers (Thanks, Aenertia)

Person Finder: Christchurch Earthquake, February 2011 (Thanks, imorgan73, via Submitterator!)

• [aenertia]

  Please note a sahana/ushahisi instance is also set up here here:

  http://eq.org.nz/main

  please add info and placemarks as well as help with moderation.

  Couchsurfing.org forums are full of accomodation offers:

  http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=1262

  And there is a freenode.org (irc) channel on #eqnz

  Thanks for all your support

  -JoelW (aenertia)

• [apoxia]

  Thanks for posting this Cory. It’s pretty shitty here in Christchurch at the moment and the frequent aftershocks are un-nerving. Even though we’ve had five months of aftershocks since the 7.1 in September I just cannot get used to them. I did manage to save my most recently updated thesis draft by rescuing my computer tower and taking it home with me from work. During the quake it was so shaky I thought the building was going to fall down around me. Many buildings here have.

  • [Michael Smith]

    It’s pretty shitty here in Christchurch at the moment

    ..and dark I imagine. I spent an hour this evening comparing the pictures from our holiday on south island a few years ago with the pictures in the media. Its pretty shocking. A few people I work with have relatives in Christchurch. So far those people, and my NZ colleagues are okay.

    What can I say? Sit tight. You are not alone.

• [Anonymous]

  Does anyone know how things are in Colombo Street and,in particular, Resthaven Retirement Home? My mum is there and I can´t get through to find out.

• [Anonymous]

  Useful information available from the Civil Defence site
  http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/

• [Anonymous]

  Also a facebook groups “Tell us your OK”

  http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=186497834722376
  “Please share this to your FB’s as well so we can get it out there and hopefully stop some of the worry. Click attending if your ok, invite anyone you haven’t heard from yet (you need to be attending to invite someone so out of towners feel free to include yourselves) if there is someone on the invite list that you know is ok please leave a comment to that effect.”

• [peternz]

  Living in London right now is the last thing I want. When a loved-one is sick, you want to be by their bedside.

  And I want to be back home in New Zealand.

  I’ve been using this tool all morning, making sure people are safe. It’s useful, and I’m thrilled Google put it together , but I have to say as someone looking for lost people from a geographically removed location, it’s been Facebook that’s been the most useful.

• [peternz]

  Twitter has had it’s place, but most of constant searching for “New Zealand”, “Christchurch”, and “Earthquake” returns putting retweeting Justin Beiber saying he was praying for NZ.

  Which on the one hand is a massive social-media-as-a-new-source fail, but on the other has a weird cultural advantage for New Zealand.

  NZ needs to feel the world is watching (we’re small, we’re dwarfed by Australia, all kinds of interesting cultural discussions could be had here). The NZ Herald homepage right now is carrying Stephen Fry’s tweet, alongside video of the carnage.

  But of course we all wish the world was watching for a different reason right now.

• [falz]

  This American’s heart goes out to Christchurch… my second home, the beautiful garden city, the best city in the world.

• [Krutus]

  I was back home for the 7.1 in September, and it felt like the end of the world. My brother told me on the phone that this one felt much worse. I can’t, and don’t, want to imagine it.

  The South Island has had such a string of tragedies lately.

• [Anonymous]

  Ushahidi – not Ushahisi

• [Anonymous]

  I hate being away from home as it is and this just hurts even more. I have no idea how some of my family is as they are unreachable. I wish I was there for them and the rest of my fellow Kiwi’s in need.

  • [Anonymous]

    If you are overseas and have family or friends who were in the city and have concerns for their safety you can call this number. For enquiries outside New Zealand:+ 64 7 850 2199