Earthquake Japan 8.9 moment magnitude

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[mvsmith]

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/#summary

[Agent|Austin]

Prayers for everyone affected by this devastating earthquake.

[IRI5HJ4CK]

The world is such a cruel place...

I'll be thinking of them

[K Jack]

And there is a tsunami warning for the whole Pacific Basin following that earthquake, which includes Hawaiian Islands and West Coast of North and South America. Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands and other such Pacific islands are also in the path of the tsunami. China and Taiwan are virtually in path of this tsunami as well.

[oceandream]

oh dear 

[Mslb_Eemshoorn]

OHH MY GOD There goes a nature disaster over the hole world.... also west coast of America can be attacked by the tsunami....

[MokMok]

Yep, we are approaching the year 2012, in which enormous disasters wil strike the planet according to the Mayan calendars!

[--tractorman--]

They'll be back to normal in most places in a month or two..


"Watch out San Fran', your next!"

[oceandream]

stop talking that
i live on a small island
24 seconds on a 6 point eartquack is more then enought to destroy it 100% 

[--tractorman--]

Well theres not much point in thinking all depressed about it, okay yes, it's sad that they died from it, but loads of people die from things every day, you don't see the news and everyone getting sad over them?

It's a natural distaster, its just one of the worlds things we can't do anything about, it happens we just have to move on

[Ballast]

stop talking that
i live on a small island
24 seconds on a 6 point eartquack is more then enought to destroy it 100% 

It still beats living under the sea level  

[saltydog]

I learned today that because of the quake Japan has moved 2 metres to the East..

[--tractorman--]

I learned today that because of the quake Japan has moved 2 metres to the East..

Ah I've been waiting for that to crop up, quite interesting actually, two metres might not seem a lot genrally, but its a fair bit for a whole island at once

[Agent|Austin]

The first waves from a tsunami caused by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan reached the U.S. mainland along the Oregon and Washington coasts Friday morning, sparking evacuations but causing no immediate major damage.

The National Weather Service said the first wave of the tsunami to hit the Washington Coast measured 1.6 feet at La Push and about half a foot at Neah Bay and Port Angeles.

Science and Operations officer Kirby Cook said the tsunami advisory is still in effect for the Washington Coast and more waves could be on the way. Cook says more waves are landing in California and that means Washington and Oregon can expect more as well.

Cook said the advisory will remain in effect until the tsunami center in Alaska calls it off.

An AP photographer reported vigorous wave activity on the coast near Moclips, similar to any stormy day on the Washington Coast.

“We may have dodged a bullet on this one,” said Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott.

As of 8:00 a.m, Scott said his deputies would continue to monitor the situation on the coast for  "at least the next hour.”

A tsunami wave of about 3.3 feet was forecast for the Washington coast, but forecasters said later waves could be larger.

Residents in coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and California had been urged to evacuate after the massive earthquake in Japan.

Officials in two coastal Washington counties used a reverse 911 system, phoning residents on the coast and in low-lying areas and asking them to move to higher ground.

Scott said coastal residents in Grays Harbor did a good job of voluntarily moving.  An emergency center in Montesano has been opened, located at 310 W Spruce Ave. 

'Subtle' waves reported in Oregon

Geophysicist Gerard Fryer at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said high water reached Port Orford, Ore., around 7:30 a.m. PST Friday.

On Oregon's southern coast, the first reports of high water from the tsunami waves call the effects minor and "extremely subtle" in Port Orford. 

Motel operator Rockne Berge said that from 130 feet up on a bluff above the beach, he saw a band of wet sand 40 yard to 50 yards wide -- an indication of a wave larger than usual.

City Administrator Mike Murphy said the waves were surging between about the levels for high and low tide. So far, there were no reports of damage and the city's low-lying areas have been evacuated. Murphy said most of the city is above that mark.   

An Oregon emergency management spokeswoman said her office is keeping Oregon's coastal counties updated on what to expect.

The Tsunami Warning Centers has these alert definitions:

    * Information statement: This comes out first. Minor waves at most and no action is needed by people living by the shore.
    * Watch: Danger level not known
    * Advisory: Strong currents likely. People are advised to stay away from the water; don't wade in, get away from the shoreline.
    * Warning: Inundating waves. Full evacuation suggested.

 

Tsunami prompts alerts, evacuations across the Pacific

The tsunami, spawned by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan, slammed the eastern coast of Japan, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. It raced across the Pacific at 500 mph—as fast as a jetliner—although tsunami waves roll into shore at normal speeds.

President Barack Obama said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is ready to come to the aid of Hawaii and West Coast states as needed. Coast Guard cutter and aircraft crews were positioning themselves to be ready to conduct response and survey missions as soon as conditions allow.

Kauai was the first of the Hawaiian islands struck by the tsunami. Water rushed ashore at least 11 feet high near Kealakekua Bay, on the west side of the Big Island, and reached the lobby of a hotel. Flooding was reported on Maui, and water washed up on roadways on the Big Island.

Scientists and officials warned that the first tsunami waves are not always the strongest and said residents along the coast should watch for strong currents and heed calls for evacuation.

“The tsunami warning is not over,” said Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie. “We are seeing significant adverse activity, particularly on Maui and the Big Island. By no means are we clear in the rest of the state as well.”

A small 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Big Island just before 5 a.m. EST, but there were no reports of damages and the quakes weren’t likely related, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey said.

Many islands in the Pacific evacuated after the warnings were issued, but officials told residents to go home because the waves weren’t as bad as expected.

In Guam, the waves broke two U.S. Navy submarines from their moorings, but tug boats corralled the subs and brought them back to their pier. No damage was reported to Navy ships in Hawaii.

The warnings issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center covered an area stretching the entire western coast of the United States and Canada from the Mexican border to Chignik Bay in Alaska.

In the Canadian pacific coast province of British Columbia, authorities evacuated marinas, beaches and other areas.

In Alaska, a dozen small communities along the Aleutian Island chain were on alert, but there were no reports of damage from a wave just over 5 feet.

In Santa Cruz, Calif., retreating waves broke loose a couple of boats and a dock, but surfers who raced to the beach to catch the waves were undeterred.

Latin American governments ordered islanders and coastal residents to head for higher ground. First affected would be Chile’s Easter Island, in the remote South Pacific, about 2,175 miles west of the capital of Santiago, where people planned to evacuate the only town. Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and ordered people on the Galapagos Islands and the coast of the mainland to seek higher ground.

Source: King Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of Belo Corp.

[danny]

May god have mercy on there souls.

BBC live feed :- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
NHK (japans news network) live feed(s) :- http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/

[Master Captain]

Hopefully japan gets their nuclear power plants under control otherwise there may very well be even more devistation.

[IRI5HJ4CK]

Yeah, I've been watching it on the news this morning...Number one has exploded...worrying

[J3nsen]

Two nuclear reactors are out of control. The authorities fear that the meltdown has already been started.

[IRI5HJ4CK]

Seriously worrying...

I have never understood why countries use Nuclear...yeah, it's cheap to run, but if there's an accident...?

Should have learned from Chernobyl...

[The Ferry Man]

Seriously worrying...

I have never understood why countries use Nuclear...yeah, it's cheap to run, but if there's an accident...?

Should have learned from Chernobyl...

Especially somewhere prone to such bad Earthquakes... 

[Agent|Austin]

I don't see a problem?

[J3nsen]

Neither did I, that was a very nice mushroom.

[Agent|Austin]

The reactor 1 containment room has risen to 100 degree C.
They suspect the melt down already incurred.

The reactor official has tried to release some steam but have to release some radiation air also. However the containment room roof fell ( from some kind of explosions and 4 employee were hurt ).

Hope that wouldn't impact the other 3 reactors next to it.

The other nuclear site has three reactors and people has been evacuated within 10km range.

Yay

[J3nsen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSUqVxrSBBI

Look how fast the building explode! No fire, so it must have been enormous pressure in there ...

[IRI5HJ4CK]

Yeah, I watched that this morning...what concerns me is what's in that cloud of smoke....