Massive Earthquake and Tsunami Hits Japan

[Troy]

A powerful tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan's history slammed the eastern coast on Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. A local news report said at least 19 people were killed.

The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake was followed by at least 19 aftershocks, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. Dozens of cities and villages along the 2,100km stretch of the country's eastern shore were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres from the epicentre in the sea off the northeastern coast.

A tsunami warning was issued for dozens of Pacific countries, as far away as Chile.
'The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan,' Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.

Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was of horrific proportions.

This is the seventh biggest earthquake ever recorded and it is stunning that some if the aftershocks alone were greater than 6.0. Then to make everything worse after the 8.9 earthquake a ten metre tsunami hit the coast!

This is insane how huge this is and watching the live feed now it is amazing to watch. The water flowing through from the coast is crazy, huge amounts flowing at intense speeds.

EDIT: 32 confirmed dead so far. Devastating.

 

[Bankise]

I have seen first hand what earthquakes can do. I have lived through a 7.1 and 6.3 mag. The 6.3 caused more damage as it was closer and everything. Its hard to thing of all the damage caused here in Christchurch with the 6.3

When I think about Japan. A 8.9 is fucking massive. The shaking went on for minutes. Whats worse, the earthquake is based under the sea. Causes the Tsunami hitting. The damage that the North of Japan has seen and will seen is going to be huge. Its going to be a massive lose of life. Hundreds will died. I wish them all well over there and hope that everybody who helped out Christchurch, helps out in Japan. Apart from the New Zealand guys, personaly, they should stay in New Zealand and look after us.

 

[Troy]

The 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch was very shallow as well wasn't it. I was reading that the ground shaking was some of the strongest ever recorded gloabally in an urban area. How is everything going with the clean-up there in Christchurch?

They were saying on the news that off the coast of Japan there are six-foot waves still coming towards the coast and by the time they hit they will be monsters. I see that one of the oil refineries is on fire due to the earthquake and they have closed all the nuclear power plants but there has been no leakage of radioactive material.

Below are some screen grabs from video footage of the tsunami running through Sendai

 

[Troy]

Death toll now up to sixty and it will climb a lot higher in the coming days. Some very small tsunamis have hit Indonesia and Phillipines with no damage. Residents near one of Japans nuclear power plants have been urged to evacuate.

Some stunning pictures of the tsunami damage are coming out of Japan.

 

[Dademo]

Yeah this is insane. A Tsunami hit Hawaii earlier today and there was small damage in California so I heard. I heard there was another different quake, not an aftershock, of 6.6 off the coast of somewhere else in Japan. These pics are insane though. I hop everyone's okay. They are saying that 5000 people may be dead. This isn't as bad as that one in Indonesia in 2004, but it's pretty bad.

 

[Bankise]

The reason why the Indonasion Quake in 2004 caused more damage, is because they didnt have buildings that could hold up to the massive waves. Plus they had weak warning systems. So they werent warned in enough time. Hence why 200,000 lifes where lost.

Japan knows where they are. They know when an eartquake hits, run to high ground. There buildings are meant to stay up in Earthquakes. But Tsunami's you just got to ride your luck a little. So in saying that, the Tsumani is going to cause my damage to buildings and loss of life.

Also Dademo it is highly possible that another earthquake was triggered by the 8.9. Japan has 4 plates meeting around it. So a 8.9 could trigger a 6.4 as you said on another line near by. Its the same reason why Christchurch had the deadly 6.3 Earthquake just over 3 weeks ago. It is possible that an earthquake triggers others in the area. Hence aftershocks.

 

[Purple PuNk]

As I said on another forum. This should be concern to California residents, but hey we are more full of ourselves than your typical American, because with these earthquakes happening counter clockwise of the ring of fire it is only a matter of time before California gets their next big earthquake. We are due for it.

 

[Troy]

Things are getting much worse in Japan. There was an explosion at their number one nuclear reactor last night and they have run out of fresh water to pump in to cool it down and have had to resort to pumping in sea water. According to experts this is "an act of desperation" and things are seriously bad if they have to use sea water. 110,000 residents have been evacuated from the area as there is a strong chance it could go into meltdown.