Japan issues top tsunami warning after major quake

jimjams


Joined: 07/03/2011
Posts: 11

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 08:23

TOKYO — Japan issued its top tsunami warning after a major offshore quake measuring 7.9 hit on Friday, strongly swaying buildings in Tokyo and sending people fleeing onto the streets.



The meteorological agency issued its top-level evacuation alerts for the entire Japanese coast, warning of a tsunami of up to six metres (20 feet).



A tsunami warning was issued for Japan, Russia and the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.



The quake struck about 382 kilometres (237 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the US Geological Survey said.



Smoke could be seen rising from a building in Tokyo port.



Shinkansen bullet trains stopped when the quake struck.



devastating footage on the news

jimjams


Joined: 07/03/2011
Posts: 11

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 09:05

now it is forecast a 10 meter tsunami is to hit Japan devastating footage on bbc news thousands of cars lorries and homes being swept away.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 09:34

First death now reported.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 09:59

First New Zealand, now Japan. Where next - San Francisco? They are all on the Pacific rim of fire.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 10:00

http://aslwww.cr.usgs.gov/Seismic_Data/telemetry_data/map_sta_eq.shtml

truffles808


Joined: 16/10/2007
Posts: 183

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 13:23

Worst nightmare, thoughts are with all those in the middle of it.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 13:48

Terrible damage and the clear-up will take for ever.

Where do these people sleep tonight? Who feeds them?

No power, no water and no sanitation.

Their troubles are just beginning.

zookeeper


Joined: 17/03/2010
Posts: 168

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 15:48

Fortunately my son rang from Tokyo just before the phone lines went dead to tell us that he's fine. We also managed to e-mail him a couple of times. He's now in a bar watching it all on Sky TV. Thank God he's OK.

swannee7


Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 394

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 16:35

They're now calling it 'the biggest quake ever recorded'. Tsunami was massively powerful and swept miles inland taking with it everything in its path. Farming communities suffered most casualties, apparently, though toll is inevitably going to rise. Away from the quake area, the effects of the tsunami haven't been as bad as expected, though its the smaller low-lying Pacific islands that remain most at risk. ( Got all this from the lunchtime BBC news.)

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 17:04

msg. 1

I think it was 8.9, not 7.9, so it was extremely powerful. Richter scale is logarithmic, thus the difference between 8.9 and 7.9 is 31.6 times, a big difference.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richter_magnitude_scale

ismet

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 17:25

Tragic circumstances. Been watching it this morning on TV.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 17:53

Hawaii, parts of the US and the Philippines have all issued Tsunami warnings.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 17:56

Hundreds if bodies have been found in the Coastal town of Sendai.

hollylou


Joined: 05/01/2011
Posts: 163

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 18:37

those poor peope

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 19:28

Real tragic news, watched it most of the day. So very sad.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3533

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 19:33

I wonder how long it will stay on the news radar



remember Haiti is still in terrible trouble

parkes82uk


Joined: 22/10/2010
Posts: 75

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 20:28

Yes it's very sad, our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 20:43

So many problems all over the world.

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 22:01

RIP all those tragically killed today, God bless you all xxx

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 22:26

It was terrifying to watch the news shots - an absolute worst nightmare.

Those poor people are so helpless in it. Hope there are no more tremors.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 22:30

Phyl, the terror they must have gone through, now with no communication , what a sad situation. How quickly it happened. x Shrimp you are so right our thoughts and prayers for the bodies found x

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
11/03/2011 23:13

It is an absolute nightmare. I was in Japan last summer and I know how efficient and proud they are but at the moment they must feel very helpless. God help them.

ismet

yrret


Joined: 17/08/2010
Posts: 761

Message Posted:
12/03/2011 07:46

Not many people seem bothered when Japs slaughter thousands of whales every year.



Should give the whale population a chance to recover a little.

gardengnome


Joined: 11/03/2011
Posts: 44

Message Posted:
12/03/2011 08:54

reports this morning say +1,000 dead

Hoylemiller



Joined: 03/09/2010
Posts: 240

Message Posted:
12/03/2011 10:06

It's absolutly tradegy whats happened, but every time i hear Japan mentioned, i think of Dolphins?