Unsecured foundations can make your home uninhabitable. Expensive electronic equipment can be secured easily. Ornaments can become flying weapons. Unsecured wood burners are a significant fire hazard. Unsecured chimneys are a major cause of earthquake damage. Beware of heavy items falling from shelves. Family treasures can become shattered memories. Prevent needless injury from flying glass. Falling furniture places loved ones at risk. Water cylinders contain hot water and weigh up to 180 kg.

View interactive version

Hit the 'Start' button to see the impact of a quake on the average house. Adjust the scale to pick different strength quakes - from a tiddler to the 'big one'.

Check the 'Quake Safe' box to see how a few simple precautions can protect your home and your family.

The Modified Mercalli scale
Most people have heard of teh Richter Scale; this is a emasure of the strength of earthquakes at their source. The Modified Mercalli scale is a different scale which describes the effects of earthquakes on people, buildings, etc depending ho close they are to the source of the quake. Typically, the level of shaking diminishes the further away from the source of the earthquake you are.

There are 12 points on the Modified Mercalli Scale, our simulator uses just four. People often don't feel shaking of les than MM4, while most earthquakes we feel in New Zealand are in the MM4-5 range, and most damage-causing earthquakes are in the MM6-7 band and higher. Big earthquakes, like the 1931 Napier and the 1968 Inangahua quakes, can cause ground-shaking of MM10 close to the source.

Click here for more information on the Modified Mercalli Scale.

Click here for more information on historical New Zealand earthquakes.