Well, I now have a first hand account.
And it's way worse than I even anticipated.
Christchurch is completely destroyed. My husband has been doing rescue work all afternoon. He is home now but is literally crying. He has never gotten this emotional ever. But the destruction was so horrible that he is completely traumatized. He is covered in dirt and smells of smoke so after talking for a bit he has gone to take a shower.
There are many trapped people who are still alive and crushed. There are so many dead bodies. He said that he only saw one person come out alive today. The rest were dead. Hundreds of dead.
All of the roads are destroyed. The sewers are broken and raw sewage is flowing down the streets.
He said the devastation was so complete that he can't see how Christchurch will go on. It will bankrupt New Zealand.