Author Topic: Earthquake and tsunami hit Japan (Read 17127 times)

Sanguine · « **on:** March 11, 2011, 03:36:49 am »

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit Japan, followed by a tsunami. Tsunami warnings in Hawaii and the continental west coast. This 8.9 is the 7th strongest quake to hit Japan in recorded history.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_earthquake

WeTheArmed.com

Splodge Of Doom · « **Reply #1 on:** March 11, 2011, 05:00:54 am »

Ooh, Ouch.

Prayers going out for that one.

dstocum · « **Reply #2 on:** March 11, 2011, 05:26:40 am »

That sucks, I hope they get through it alright. Yay for building standards, though, I notice they're not reporting thousands dead from collapsing cinder block and spit buildings.

Bud · « **Reply #3 on:** March 11, 2011, 08:25:30 am »

This is huge, the market is already reacting (Japan is the world's 3rd largest economy)

Seeing the tsunami videos is incredible.

Grant · « **Reply #4 on:** March 11, 2011, 08:47:51 am »

I feel for them folks......Seriously, truly. It's great that they're at least somewhat better prepared for this than many do.

FMJ · « **Reply #5 on:** March 11, 2011, 11:24:11 am »

They've had the west coast on warning all morning now. San Francisco proper has a bona fide tsunami warning.

I'm on high ground, but we should all really be fine.

I saw the video stuff, but I had never seen anything like it before, so I have nothing to "compare" it to.

Langenator · « **Reply #6 on:** March 11, 2011, 11:52:39 am »

8.9 is HUGE. I remember Loma Prieta '89, which was a 7.0, 7.1 or so, and that was scary.

The Richter Scale is logarythmic (did I spell that right?). So an 8.0 is 10X as big as a 7.0. An 8.9 would be close to 100X bigger than that 7.0.

seanp · « **Reply #7 on:** March 11, 2011, 12:09:48 pm »

Reports from Japan are looking really bad right now. Entire towns have been washed away. Chemical plants damaged, including nuclear power plants. This is a hard blow for the region and the economy.

FMJ · « **Reply #8 on:** March 11, 2011, 12:57:33 pm »

Quote from: Langenator on March 11, 2011, 11:52:39 am

8.9 is HUGE. I remember Loma Prieta '89, which was a 7.0, 7.1 or so, and that was scary.

The Richter Scale is logarythmic (did I spell that right?). So an 8.0 is 10X as big as a 7.0. An 8.9 would be close to 100X bigger than that 7.0.

All the people on Calguns were saying how the '89 quake is nothing like this one. I wouldn't know as I wasn't alive at the time.

luke213(adamsholsters) · « **Reply #9 on:** March 11, 2011, 01:14:13 pm »

Quote from: FMJ on March 11, 2011, 12:57:33 pm

All the people on Calguns were saying how the '89 quake is nothing like this one. I wouldn't know as I wasn't alive at the time.

That right there is still weird to me;)

My heart goes out to these folks though, natural disasters are always tough, nature can really do a number on our "modern" society.

Luke

Doug Wojtowicz · « **Reply #10 on:** March 11, 2011, 01:43:02 pm »

I have family in Sacremento and friends in Japan. Terrible.

mephisto · « **Reply #11 on:** March 11, 2011, 01:50:25 pm »

I have a cousin that live/works in the area of the quake, we are waiting for word of his well being.

Matthew Mayner · « **Reply #12 on:** March 11, 2011, 01:51:17 pm »

This just leaves one burning question. Is Godzilla okay?

Seriously that's like a one two punch. Survive the earthquake? You're gonna drown.

Thoughts and prayers for the Japanese, any islanders in the path of the monster and anyone on the coast.

FMJ · « **Reply #13 on:** March 11, 2011, 02:20:07 pm »

I heard that there was some property damage in Santa Cruz, no casualties. Mind you this is hearsay...

Garaballo · « **Reply #14 on:** March 11, 2011, 02:35:00 pm »

A friend of mine works in Baja California, he reported via FB that the sea had retracted some 20 meters, but that is according to news report, his work is on the Mar de Cortez side of Baja, in Los Cabos.

Prayers to every member with acquaintances on harm's way.

(Just a side note, mi family went thru the 1985 Mexico earthquake, my sis only had 4 months at the time and they had a hard time leaving the city with her on hands)

Feud · « **Reply #15 on:** March 11, 2011, 02:37:06 pm »

I"m really hoping that the nuclear power situation gets sorted out quick. If one of those leaks then the cost, both to the people affected and the long term ability to develop nuclear power, will be enormous.

Garaballo · « **Reply #16 on:** March 11, 2011, 02:55:47 pm »

Holly, the picture attached could lead to a BLEVE, that's my worst nightmare, another San Juanico disaster waiting to happen, I wonder, with Japan beign an industrious country, how many industrial facilities where damaged besides this?

seanp · « **Reply #17 on:** March 11, 2011, 03:17:28 pm »

Quote from: Garaballo on March 11, 2011, 02:55:47 pm

Holly, the picture attached could lead to a BLEVE, that's my worst nightmare, another San Juanico disaster waiting to happen, I wonder, with Japan beign an industrious country, how many industrial facilities where damaged besides this?

A lot, I would bet.

Khorne · « **Reply #18 on:** March 11, 2011, 04:33:16 pm »

My girlfriend's in Japan near Osaka, but she's alright.

seanp · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2011, 04:39:09 pm »

Quote from: Khorne on March 11, 2011, 04:33:16 pm

My girlfriend's in Japan near Osaka, but she's alright.

She give you any first hand news on how bad it is?

Khorne · « **Reply #20 on:** March 11, 2011, 04:45:54 pm »

No, just a "got back to hotel, I'm all right" kinda thing. I think its night time over there or something now.

Outbreak · « **Reply #21 on:** March 11, 2011, 07:13:36 pm »

Reports I've seen on both the news and first hand from friends over there is that all US Military personnel were safe and accounted for pretty early on. I don't think I know anyone else in Japan. The guys I do know are chomping at the bit to get out and start helping, though.

THE NORSEMAN · « **Reply #22 on:** March 12, 2011, 12:04:01 am »

Here in the states, we had a guy in California die trying to get pictures of the waves today too from what I understand.

The big thing is this-

HOURS worth of aftershocks? With many at or above 6.0, and expected to continue for week(s?).

Outbreak · « **Reply #23 on:** March 12, 2011, 12:56:30 am »

Quote from: THE NORSEMAN on March 12, 2011, 12:04:01 am

Here in the states, we had a guy in California die trying to get pictures of the waves today too from what I understand.

Darwin at his finest.

Nightcrawler · « **Reply #24 on:** March 12, 2011, 04:35:05 am »

It seems that a Japanese nuclear reactor was severely damaged and may be in danger of a meltdown.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/japan-declares-nuclear-emergency-following-huge-earthquake/story-fn7zkbgs-1226020058265

I hope to God that doesn't happen. Either way, it'll do nothing but confirm people's generally irrational fears of nuclear power. "You can't build a nuclear plant," they'll scream. "Look at what happened in Japan!" The fact that the reactor in question won't be in an active earthquake zone will be completely irrelevant. And so we'll go on building coal plants, which pollute the air with radioactive particles constantly.