8.9 Earthquake (upgraded to 9.0) and Tsunami hits Japan

Post by **Hachimitsu** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:44 pm

Here is a link on the BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598

There is also video footage of the tsunami hitting parts of Japan (from the network NHK). I can't bring myself to post it.

There is now a tsunami warning for much of Pacific.

Edit: to adjust the title of the thread

Post by **Griffon64** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:10 pm

I just walked into the office and opened CNN and saw the news. I saw a part of the NHK video, too. Oh, no. I stopped watching when the camera panned out and I saw the vehicles moving on the roads, about to be engulfed.

Post by **vison** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:14 pm

There is nothing a person can say.

The big one. It happened.

Anyone here on the coast, low enough to worry about the tsunami?

Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:20 pm

There are road closures in Santa Cruz. Precautionary, I hope!

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:24 pm

I hope not.

The parts of the Oregon coast I've been hearing about seem pretty well evacuated. The tide is about halfway out at the moment, which is good.This coast has had hours of warning. The sirens have been going off, and school is canceled in most coastal towns.

The images from Japan are horrifying and heartbreaking. They didn't get any warning.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:26 pm

I think that, save perhaps for a huge fire, a tsunami must be the most terrifying natural disaster. I remember the amateur street-level footage from Indonesia in 2005 - just terrible. And in particular, the way that they strike with little warning.

On a political level, I suspect that this will make or break the apparently ailing Kan Government. A good response will boost Naoto Kan's approval and take attention from the donations scandal that's been troubling the DPJ. If it bungles it then I can't see how it could survive.

Post by **Frelga** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:27 pm

I heard about it last night. We are really such small, fragile creatures for all our powers. What a tragedy.

They issued tsunami watch here, but it's more for unusually rough surf, higher waves, something boaters and people at the water edge need to be aware of. At least, last I heard.

Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:27 pm

Note post above that I moved from another thread that I apparently posted in incorrectly.

Post by **Frelga** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:45 pm

I certainly hope it's just a precaution! They are expecting waves of 2-5 feet, possibly flooding in the low coastal areas. Beaches are closed.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... .DTL&tsp=1

The reports from Japan are now "at least forty dead." It must still be chaos there.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:51 pm

I've heard they've recovered 400 bodies already in the coastal city hit first and hardest by the tsunami, and are certain there will be many more.

But the power is out over wide ranges of the country, the trains are shut down, elevated highways are closed; information is getting out from some places but others are cut off.

Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:59 pm

Sadly, I'm sure we will be talking about thousands, not hundreds, before too long. And many millions of lifes disrupted. And probably billions of dollars of damage. This is a big one. Again.

Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:11 pm

Apparently there is a some damage in Santa Cruz Harbor, with some boats floating free, or capsized. A stupid surfer had to be rescued by the fire department. Apparently they are predicting larger waves later in the morning, so it is likely to get worse.

Post by **River** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:49 pm

I've seen reports of at least one broken dam with the accompanying devastation and a couple nuclear reactors had to be shut down, though no radiation leaks have been reported. Japan's got seismic coping skills (we borrowed the word "tsunami" from them) but a quake like that can't be coped with.

Post by **Frelga** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:58 pm

V, I saw reports from Santa Cruz showing the boats that tore loose and smashed. A mess, on one hand, and on another, compared to the devastation in Japan it does not seem as significant.

And yes, the final count will probably be in thousands of lost lives.

Post by **WampusCat** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:03 pm

Such a tragedy.

Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:59 pm

I completely agree, Frelga (although I'm sure that the people whose boats are damaged or ruined aren't very happy). But just the fact that an event so far away could have such impact here blows my mind, and shows what a powerful event this was.

Post by **Frelga** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:09 pm

Oh, absolutely. And given that, as I heard, many were commercial fishing boats, some families' livelihood may be affected, not just leisure. But then I look at the cars piled up among the rubble...

There, but for the grace of God, goes the humanity.

Post by **Holbytla** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:59 pm

It was pretty mind blowing to watch acres and acres of farmland being overrun by a mass of water, mud, trucks, boats and whatever else. The force of the water made those obstacles look like pebbles on the beach.

Post by **Maria** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:19 pm

Hydraulic pressure can do some amazing things.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:59 am

Quite honestly I find it very difficult to watch such footage. It seems intrusive on personal horror and tragedy. It will take days to discover the full awfulness of this. It struck me how comparatively helpless the international community is to make the aftermath of this much better.
The nuclear power station situation is worrying.