9.0 Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Japan

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

Oh, geez. An 8.8 earthquake hits Japan, approximately 250 miles from Tokyo. Right now, I'm watching live feeds from Japan--houses and boats tumbling in the water, smoke rising from high rises, people crowded in the streets.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598

Japan issued its most serious tsunami warning, saying a wave as high as 6m (20ft) could strike the coast near Miyagi prefecture.

US officials said the 8.8-magnitude quake struck about 250 miles (400km) from Tokyo at a depth of 20 miles.

TV pictures showed a wave crashing into the Pacific coast.

The surge of water carried cars and ships as it surged through a coastal town.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...its-Japan-after-8.8-magnitude-earthquake.html

US officials said the 8.8-magnitude quake struck about 250 miles (400km) from Tokyo at a depth of 20 miles. The stock market extended its losses after the quake was announced.

Japan's northeast Pacific coast, called Sanriku, has suffered from quakes and tsunamis in the past and a 7.2 quake struck on Wednesday. In 1933, a magnitude 8.1 quake in the area killed more than 3,000 people. Last year fishing facilities were damaged after by a tsunami caused by a strong tremor in Chile.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

A tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and US state of Hawaii.

ETA: CNN just announced the earthquake was upgraded to an 8.9, with at least one aftershock of 6.4.

Cripes!

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

Watching this tsunami destroying everything in sight live on CNN right now. This is the most horrific, terrible thing I've ever seen in my life. A swell of brown-black water eating everything in its path. Just terrible.

firedrake · Mar 10, 2011

I'm watching this now

Horrific

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

It's incredibly gripping despite the horror. Watching these buildings tremble and collapse, and the water is on fire. Never saw--or imagined--anything like this.

Oh my God! Look at all those cars on the hghway and the water chasing them! This is terrible.

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

There's also a tsunami video at this link: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Video-Japan-Earthquake-Tokyo-Tsunami-Fears-After-89-Magnitude-Quake-Rocks-Buildings-In-Capital/Article/201103215950160?lpos=World_News_Top_Stories_Header_0&lid=ARTICLE_15950160_Video%3A_Japan_Earthquake%3A_Tokyo_Tsunami_Fears_After_8.9_Magnitude_Quake_Rocks_Buildings_In_Capital

From the article:

Cars, trucks, houses and buildings have been swept away by a 13ft wave in Onahama city, in Fukushima prefecture, while Tokyo's Disneyland car park has been swamped.
And it is feared a tsunami of up to 32ft could strike the country's north eastern coast near Miyagi prefecture, closest to the epicentre of the 8.9 magnitude quake.

The NOAA buoy station data showing the water heights:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=21418

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

http://www.economist.com/blogs/asiaview/2011/03/earthquake_japan

Our correspondent in Tokyo reports via e-mail that phone lines are down in the capital, and people pouring out into the streets. At early stages there is no sign of falling buildings, but a very strong aftershock has just been felt. Crowds roared with fright along the busy shopping street of Omotesando when the second shake struck, though no visible damage was done there.
America’s geological survey estimates that the quake reached 8.8 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre 382km north-east of Tokyo, at a depth of 32 miles.
http://

firedrake · Mar 10, 2011

I just can't believe what I'm seeing.

CNN are talking to an American who lives in Japan. He said the quake went on for 4 or 5 minutes. :Wha:

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

Live stream of tsunami from Japan: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/foxtokimekitonight

This video is horrifying. The devastation is unbelievable. And, since they just got a 7.1 aftershock, that's probably another wave too. Good God, this is going to be bad.

Zoombie · Mar 10, 2011

Indescribable is too small a word.

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

That live feed from NLK in Japan is unbelievable. Watching trees snap like twigs and tumble into houses, which crumble and join the rest of the debris. Good God.

Vincent · Mar 10, 2011

It's like watching 9-11 again.

mscelina · Mar 10, 2011

beezle said:
It's like watching 9-11 again.

But bigger. Much bigger. There are so many countries that could potentially be impacted by the tsunami AND underneath all that water in Japan is earthquake damage. This could be catastrophic.

mccardey · Mar 10, 2011

I think it will be catastrophic. If anyone hears from anyone there, could they please post news in the Disaster in my Geographical Region thread?

Albedo · Mar 10, 2011

The footage is truly chilling. I hope Japan has good tsunami warning systems. No-one left in those coastal towns had any chance.

mccardey · Mar 10, 2011

Oh my God, the footage that's coming through now... This is awful.

thethinker42 · Mar 11, 2011

Albedo said:
The footage is truly chilling. I hope Japan has good tsunami warning systems. No-one left in those coastal towns had any chance.

As far as I know, they do. Okinawa (where I am now) has loudspeakers blaring warnings every few minutes, and the police drive around the low-lying areas to make sure no one's near the shore. They block off roads, evacuate the coast, etc. To my knowledge, the mainland is similarly prepared, if not more so.

LIVIN · Mar 11, 2011

I learned about this a little bit ago via Twitter... crazy footage on all the news networks

mscelina · Mar 11, 2011

Watching the second and third waves heading for the coast and the building along the beach was just horrifying.

Tocotin · Mar 11, 2011

We have electricity but no gas, and phones are not working, as in we can send messages but not call. Actually we had 2 earthquakes and there are still aftershocks. I haven't heard from 2 of my friends and one of them is in Yokohama near the sea. I was going to meet her tomorrow.

mscelina · Mar 11, 2011

Tsunami warning sirens now sounding in Honolulu. Est time of arrival of wave is 3 am local time--according to CNN, looking for link.

ETA--link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...Rm4w4Q?docId=2feb64f57f1e48cea2b5a2d7a541de67

thethinker42 · Mar 11, 2011

Tocotin said:
We have electricity but no gas, and phones are not working, as in we can send messages but not call. Actually we had 2 earthquakes and there are still aftershocks. I haven't heard from 2 of my friends and one of them is in Yokohama near the sea. I was going to meet her tomorrow.

Hope your friends are all right!

mscelina said:
Tsunami warning sirens now sounding in Honolulu. Est time of arrival of wave is 3 am local time--according to CNN, looking for link.

ETA--link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...Rm4w4Q?docId=2feb64f57f1e48cea2b5a2d7a541de67

They're going off here too. Estimated landfall is in about 30 minutes, wave height 2 meters, from what they're saying on the loudspeaker. (My base is high enough above sea level they're not evacuating us. We'll be fine. Though I *would* like to hear from my husband, since he's on a base at sea level on the coast.)

NoGuessing · Mar 11, 2011

This is awful. Not much that can be said really.

Japan sits on an intersection between three plates (Eurasian, Pacific, Philippine Sea plates), so this was always on the cards unfortunately.

The Japanese have had some huge quakes before though, and their emergency planning is as good as it gets when it comes to earthquakes. This is an awful event, but they have the right stuff in place to do as much as they can to lessen the disaster.

NoGuessing · Mar 11, 2011

I see we have some AWers in Japan. I hope you and those close to you pull through guys. We're thinking of you.

Storm Dream · Mar 11, 2011

This is horrible to see. I was offline, working on something, and my brother came downstairs and told me.

The footage is terrifying. They are talking right now about evacuating islands in the Pacific Rim -- this is going to be very difficult.

The burning refinery and the boats smashed into breakwaters...chilling.

mccardey · Mar 11, 2011

thethinker42 said:
Hope your friends are all right!

They're going off here too. Estimated landfall is in about 30 minutes, wave height 2 meters, from what they're saying on the loudspeaker. (My base is high enough above sea level they're not evacuating us. We'll be fine. Though I *would* like to hear from my husband, since he's on a base at sea level on the coast.)

Thinking of you all - stay safe.

9.0 Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Japan

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