Massive 8.8-magnitude quake strikes Japan

[pak-marine]

May God help Japanese , waves looking scary

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Very unfortunate.

There are too many natural calamities happening around the world.

Unprecedented floods in the US, UK, Europe, Pakistan, Australia and now this in Japan.

 

[Yeti]

There is problem with the nuclear reactor there some say it has leaked!! could be very dangerous

 

[iPhone]

There is problem with the nuclear reactor there some say it has leaked!! could be very dangerous

oh that's not good.

 

[Silent observer]

the cooling system of one of the reactor is not functioning evenafer it is shutdown so nuclear warning has been issued. there is no leak from any reactor till now reported.

regards

 

[Yeti]

Fears nuclear reactor will explode as 'out of control' cooling system fails at plant


Japan earthquake and tsunami: State of emergency after nuclear power plant crippled | Mail Online

 

[Silent observer]

tsunami warning has been issued just now on the pacific side of japan again.
the waves can be 3-10 meters high depending on prefectures.

regards

 

[AstanoshKhan]

It is said that this is biggest quake in at least 300 years that hit Japan.

Considering their anti-quake protection, if this quake happen somewhere else, there would be far more devastating effects on population and property.

 

[Yeti]

It is said that this is biggest quake in at least 300 years that hit Japan.

Considering their anti-quake protection, if this quake happen somewhere else, there would be far more devastating effects on population and property.

Very true their buildings did not fall even with 8.9 quake!! incredible

 

[Silent observer]

it is the biggest in japan history of quakes since 1800 (they start keeping record of their quakes from 1800)

 

[hembo]

Tsunami could reach 6 feet in California

* Evacuations possible in California

* Hawaii and Guam residents told to leave coastal areas

* Warning extended to Northern California and Oregon

OAKLAND, Calif., March 11 (Reuters) - The tsunami generated by a massive earthquake in Japan could reach 6 feet (2 metres) when it hits parts of the northern California coast and force some evacuations, a state emergency agency spokesman said.

In Hawaii, the first signs of a tsunami began to appear, as waves steadily rose over southern beaches on the island of Oahu. The initial waves in Hawaii appeared to have caused no damage.

The massive 8.9 magnitude quake in Japan triggered tsunami warnings for most of the Pacific basin, including northern California and Oregon.

"It is very possible there may be some evacuations here," California Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jordan Scott said by telephone, adding that the far northern California area near the Oregon border was most likely to see big waves.

In Hawaii, some 3,800 miles (6,200 km) from Japan, the main airports on at least three of the major islands -- Maui, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii -- were shut down as a precaution, and the U.S. Navy ordered all warships in Pearl Harbor to remain in port to support rescue missions as needed.

Civil defense officials ordered all Hawaiian coastal areas evacuated by 2 a.m. local time, about 90 minutes before the first wave reached the islands at about 8:30 a.m. EST/1330 GMT.

Authorities also ordered evacuations from low-lying areas on the U.S. island territory of Guam in the western Pacific, but the tsunami warning there was lifted several hours later and roads there were reopened.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said the tsunami warning was posted from Mexico down the Pacific coast of South America. The advisory was later extended to a stretch of the U.S. West Coast from Point Conception, California, north through Oregon.

President Barack Obama, a native of Hawaii, was notified of the massive Japanese quake at 4 a.m./0900 GMT and instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be prepared to affected U.S. states and territories, the White House said.

The quake off Japan's northeast coast was the biggest in 140 years and triggered tsunami waves of up to 30 feet (10 metres) that swept across farmland, carrying away homes, crops, vehicles and triggering fires. [ID:nL3E7EB0MF]

On Easter Island, a Chilean territory in the South Pacific, authorities planned to move residents to higher ground hours before a possible tsunami was expected to reach the volcanic isle on Friday afternoon.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, whose country was hit by a devastating 8.8 magnitude quake and ensuing tsunamis that killed more than 500 people a year ago, called on Chileans to remain alert, but to continue with their daily routines. (For a FACTBOX on the tsunami around the Americas, see [ID:N11232663] and for full coverage of the quake and tsunami see [ID:nL3E7EB0V5]) (Additional reporting by Suzanne Roig and Jorene Barut in Honolulu, Peter Henderson in San Francisco and Simon Gardner in Santiago; writing by Steve Gorman and Frances Kerry; editing by Anthony Boadle)

 

[hembo]

Pacific on alert as tsunami surge hits Hawaii
Posted 45 minutes ago


A wall of water engulfs coastal Japan after a huge 8.9 magnitude quake struck the region (NHK World)

Video: Tsunami engulfs Japanese towns (ABC News) Related Story: Tsunami swamps Japan after powerful quake Related Story: Aid groups scramble in wake of quake Related Story: Pacific-wide tsunami warning in effect A devastating, 8.9-magnitude Japanese earthquake Friday triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific from the coast of California to Indonesia, as video showed the first signs of a tsunami appearing on beaches in Hawaii.

Tsunami warnings have been lifted for some densely populated Asia Pacific countries previously thought to be at risk after a huge earthquake hit Japan, and no damage outside Japan has been reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) reported wave changes at Waianae Harbour shortly before relatively small waves were seen at Waikiki.

Earlier, warnings were issued for the entire Pacific basin except mainland United States and Canada, and including Hawaii and extending from Mexico down to South American countries on the Pacific.

Australia and New Zealand, which had been on an initial warning list, were later removed. The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed there was no tsunami threat.

Indonesia's meteorological agency said its tsunami alert had been lifted, following Taiwan, which lifted its alert after evacuating its thinly populated east coast earlier on Friday.

Taiwan evacuated its east coast which is not heavily populated. Waves of about 10 centimetres high have reached the island but caused little damage, its central weather bureau said.

Small tsunami waves also hit the Philippines and Indonesia's eastern coastline without causing any damage.

The warning has also been lifted for Guam.

The tsunami is expected to head towards the Americas, where warnings are in effect for countries including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, as well as Russia, Fiji, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The warning also extends to the northern and central California coast, the Oregon coast, and parts of Alaska. Residents have been urged to move inland and to higher ground.

An advisory, a lesser state of alert, was issued for southern California and the Washington coast, where residents were urged to clear beaches and stay out of marinas and harbours.


Tsunami reaches Hawaii

Hawaii was bracing for a tidal wave after a massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan, 6,200 kilometres away, triggered a tsunami warning across most of the Pacific basin, including northern California and Oregon.

Hawaii's civil defence agency ordered all coastal areas, including the main tourist hub Honolulu, evacuated by 2:00am local time. The first tsunami waves began to wash up on Hawaiian shores just hours later.

The PTWC reported seeing wave changes at Waianae Harbor at around 3.24am local time, shortly before relatively small waves were seen at Waikiki.

No damage was reported from the waves, which were also reported on other islands in the Pacific archipelago state.

Waves were measured at 48 centimetres in Nawiliwili on the island of Kauai, according to officials at an emergency centre in Honolulu.

"It's not going to be a major damaging event," Gerard Fryer with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said as the surge began to hit, although he added there might be scattered damage.

Officials expect waves of up to two metres to hit Hawaii in the coming hours.

The alarm had been sounded some five hours before the waves hit. Police had set up road blocks on roadways heading into inundation zones about an hour before the tsunami arrived.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned the tsunami is currently higher than some Pacific islands which it could wash over.

The quake off Japan's north-east coast was the biggest in 140 years and triggered tsunami waves that swept across farmland, sweeping away homes, crops, vehicles and triggering fires.

- AFP/Reuters

 

[Spitfighter]

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy nut, we've had an awful lot of natural disasters within the last year or so.

Makes me wonder if there's any truth to all that 2012 talk....

 

[Yeti]

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy nut, we've had an awful lot of natural disasters within the last year or so.

Makes me wonder if there's any truth to all that 2012 talk....

Its the Kali yuga

 

[Silent observer]

although it is difficult to sleep after experincing such an earthquake but it is 1230 here so gotta go.

Regards