Massive 8.9-magnitude quake hits Japan

[Doc Holliday]

Tokyo (CNN) -- An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan on Friday, triggering tsunamis and sending a massive wave filled with debris that included boats and houses inching toward land.

The number of fatalities was unclear, but Japan's Kyodo news reported at least 10 killed and numerous injured.

The quake prompted at least 19 countries and numerous Pacific islands to issue tsunami warnings. It was followed by powerful aftershocks that were felt in capital of Tokyo. The quake's epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) away from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said. But residents there continued to feel aftershocks long after the quake.

Massive earthquake hits Japan

 

[Doc Holliday]

Tsunami slams Japan after quake

TOKYO - Even in a nation accustomed to tremors, Friday's massive earthquake in Japan, and the tsunami it triggered, were terrifyingly different.

Roiling water swept away homes, highways and the cars driving on them as waves 10 metres high hit the country's northeastern Pacific coast after the magnitude 8.9 quake, the biggest in nearly a century and a half.

The tsunami, black with soil and thick with debris, some of it ablaze, submerged farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, and television images showed upended cars bobbing up and down in the water. Boats were floating in an inland sea.

The quake rattled skyscrapers in Tokyo further south, where the streets around the main train station were packed with commuters stranded after buses and trains were halted.

Tsunami slams Japan after quake

 

[Doc Holliday]

Tsunami warnings issued to at least 20 countries, including US & Canada

(CNN) -- The threat of a tsunami prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a warning for at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan Friday.
The wide-ranging list includes Russia and Indonesia, Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica and the U.S. state of Hawaii. The weather service's bulletin is intended "as advice to government agencies."
The quake, which struck near the coast of Honshu on Friday afternoon unleashed a wall of water that rushed in toward land, leveling houses and cars in its path.
Authorities in the U.S. territory of Guam said a tsunami could hit the island as early as 7:09 p.m. (4:09 a.m. ET). Sirens sounded in Hawaii around 10 p.m. Thursday (3 a.m. ET), warning residents they could expect tsunami waves five hours later.

The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center early Friday issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas along the United States and Canadian west coasts. The tsunami warning includes coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Conception to the Oregon-Washington border. It also includes coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass to Attu.

Tsunami warnings issued to at least 20 countries, including the US & Canada

 

[CS Martin]

It's going to be facinating to see just how some of the Newer Buildings in Tokyo fared with this quake. Typically some of the more recent buildings are meant to withstand an 8+ Magnitude Quake. One of them is build directly at the intersection of two fault lines.

 

[CS Martin]

Based upon that, it looks as though the engineering worked as planned. I'm sorry for the loss of life and wish everyone over their the best.

 

[hormone]

Pretty good 10-4, arigato!

The BC site also has some pretty good videos, the longer/ more complete versions of the ones we see on CNN and N-A sites. Really makes you as a human feel very small

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709847

 

[CS Martin]

This is not in any way meant to lessen this event or the obvious suffering & loss of life, but the Japenese have been assuming that an 8+ quake would hit the main population centers sometime in a 100 year period. Most of the newer buildings have been built accordingly.

 

[Springsteen]

Hawaii was hit with a moderate tsunami, but the worst is not always the first.

 

[alphonso]

The US economy is already in the crapper, imagine if a tidal wave hits the west coast.

 

[evillethings]

Thx for posting this Doc Holliday. wonder if they anticipated the magnitude of the hit?

 

[JH Fan]

The US economy is already in the crapper, imagine if a tidal wave hits the west coast.

There will be one in 2012....


the Republicans will probably win the next presidency !

 

[Montreal Sex City]

A man prays in front of a house devastated by tsunami in Minami Soma, Fukushima, northern Japan after Japan's biggest recorded earthquake slammed into its eastern coast Friday

(The Associated Press/Kyodo)​

 

[Merlot]

Hello all,

A man prays in front of a house devastated by tsunami in Minami Soma, Fukushima, northern Japan after Japan's biggest recorded earthquake slammed into its eastern coast Friday

(The Associated Press/Kyodo)​

In just one large town there are reportedly 9,500 people missing. Multiple those possible numbers knowing all of the islands of the country were hit and you can understand somewhat what has happened. Pray it's not as bad as it seems right now.

Aside from designing structures to survive these natural disasters the Japanese know these episodes are part of living on their islands. Japan was made from volcanic activity that will not cease for eons because of it's position at the convergence of two tectonic plates, and that fully 10% of all of the world's volcanoes line through or surround Japan. Tsunamis are one of the risks of living there, and the speed of a tsunami (possibly 500 mph or roughly 900 kph) and closeness of this one means little could have been done.

Regrettably,

Merlot

 

[Montreal Sex City]

http://us.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.nuclear/index.html?hpt=T1

Yiiiike !

 

[K Douglas]

Devestating. I will be donating to World Vision. I hope all of you will reach into your pocketbooks too. Even though Japan is an advanced country this quake is in the trillions of dollars of damage....they need our help.

 

[OnUrGspot]

Is this the beginning of the end...2012 is coming fast!

 

[Montreal Sex City]

Second explosion at nuclear power plant in Japan

 

[JH Fan]

Just a reminder...

Although it may reach the 500billions it cost Japan for World War II...

In today's figure Japan's loss of human lives (in world war II) would be over 6 millions.

 

[CLAVIE]

Just a reminder...

Although it may reach the 500billions it cost Japan for World War II...

In today's figure Japan's loss of human lives (in world war II) would be over 6 millions.

Fine! but what Jap had created in south-east countries was been 10 times more death and 10 times more loss of economic.
Just a reminder....

 

[anon_vlad]

Fine! but what Jap had created in south-east countries was been 10 times more death and 10 times more loss of economic.
Just a reminder....

Even more than 10X. However, if people are to be judged, the sins of their grandparents should be totally irrelevant.