New Zealand Endured Double Disasters

Tropical cyclone Gabrielle hit New Zealand first, followed by a M6.1 earthquake caused a long and strong shake felt widely across the North Island and Marlborough region.

The cyclone started raining on the mainland on 11 Feb. and caused widespread landslides and floods for the following days. It has claimed 5 lives.

Then comes the earthquake. The epicenter of the earthquake was 50 kilometers from the town of Paraparaumu on the south-western coast of New Zealand’s North Island, itself 34 miles north of Wellington. The event took place at 7.38pm local time on Wednesday 15 February. New Zealand lies on the seismically active "Ring of Fire", a 40,000-kilometer arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean.

Some New Zealanders claim the quake as 'the loudest, strongest, scariest' in years.