A FORMER Barnstaple woman who lives in New Zealand has spoken of her terror the night a powerful earthquake struck.

Stacy Cooper, 31, said it felt like she was being 'swung around in a shipping container' when the quake destroyed hundreds of buildings and disrupted water and electricity supplies.

The former Park School pupil contacted the Journal to describe the dramatic events.

Stacy lives in Christchurch with her husband Jason Silich and their children Noah and Paige, aged five and three.

Their home is 20 minutes away from the quake's epicentre.

At least 500 buildings and 90 properties were destroyed in the 7.1 magnitude earthquake when it struck the South Island at 4.35am last Saturday.

Stacy said her family was in bed when the earth lurched underneath their feet.

She said: "My husband and I struggled to get out of our bed as it was moving all over the place.

"Our children were sleeping downstairs and it was almost impossible to get to them.

"We sat under our dining table until 6am petrified of another aftershock. I phoned my dad in Barnstaple from under the table to find out what was happening.

"It felt like we were being swung around in a shipping container."

Stacy said they are still on edge because of the continuing aftershocks.

New Zealand's state geological agency GNS Science reported 29 aftershocks in the 14 hours following the quake, ranging in strength from magnitude 3.7 to 5.4.

Prime Minister John Key said it was an absolute miracle no one had died.

Stacy said: "Aftershocks have caused cracks in the foundation of our house, in Noah's bedroom and in our driveway.

"But we are the lucky ones. We never lost power as most of the city did and we only lost water for about 12 hours.

"We still have to boil water as the sewage system has burst and people are getting gastro bugs."

Stacy grew up in Barnstaple, living in Forches and Chanters Hill. Her family still lives locally.

Carole Cooper, Stacy's stepmother, lives in Newport with Stacy's dad Ross.

She said: "It was very distressing. Stacy phoned us straight after it had happened from under her dining table.

"We turned on the news and could see what was happening. It makes you worry even more because New Zealand is just so far away."

Stacy said it was the first time in nine years she had thought about leaving New Zealand.

She said: "We are still sleeping together in the lounge.

"Paige told me, 'Mummy, I don't want to sleep in my shaky bed anymore'. It's the hardest thing to put your children down for the night and see they want you to tell them it's going to be ok, but you can't."

But Carole said: "She won't leave New Zealand, it's her home.

It's just such a shock when something like that happens so out of the blue, especially when you're on the other side of the world."