EVEN though there was no physical damage the Wainuiomata residents were still affected from last Fridays Earthquake.
From people struggling to get home from Wellington, to the local supermarket closing, the panic was evident in the suburb.
At the BP petrol station staff were overwhelmed with customers wanting to get fuel and emergency supplies.
“We had to rush round checking dips and serving people all at once,” said one staff member who was clearly shaken by the ordeal.
One Customer was filling up his four wheel drive after the quake and said that he was doing so in case something happened on the hill.
“In the Christchurch Earthquake people found that the local Four Wheel Drive clubs were the only ones that could get around and deliver medical equipment, so I thought in case a bigger one hits I better be prepared.” He said.
The local Countdown was closed to clean up fallen over stock and also the mall closed to check the building was safe.
“We closed but I still had to get trolleys” Said Countdown employee Kenny.
“The mall closed but people were still trying to get inside” he said.
This affected the business inside the mall during the closure, including The Warehouse, which also had a small amount of stock falling inside.
Work was cancelled for a lot of people for the rest of the afternoon, quite a few had to return back from town including one who had a long drive home from Kaiwharawhara.
“We were told by our HR people to go home so I was straight into the car and off home” he said
At Wainuiomata High School, Students were sent home after the shake.
Student Aaron Jonassen, Said that during the quake they all went straight under their desks.
“Our teacher just yelled at us to get under our desks and we just rode it out basically,”
“We then went out on the field and then were sent home after they had done the roll,” he said.
There was a lot of neighbourly spirit around Wainui after the event, with many residents checking on the people next door to see if all was ok.
