Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Japan hit by tsunami caused by 8.9 quake; tsunamis landing elsewhere

Baraka_Guru · 03-11-2011, 05:04 AM

Hawaii is to be hit soon, and there are apparently warnings for the west coast of the U.S. and Canada. The tsunami's reach also affects much of the South Pacific.

The magnitude of destruction is devastating. They had live footage of the waves on the news last night.

YouTube - Devastating tsunami hits Japan

Quote:

Japan suffers major damage in 8.9 quake
At least 60 dead, according to reports
CBC News
Posted: Mar 11, 2011 1:27 AM ET
Last Updated: Mar 11, 2011 7:51 AM E

A powerful earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast Friday, triggering a tsunami that swallowed homes, swept away boats and cars and forced people to scramble to higher ground.

At least 60 people were killed and dozens were reported missing after the magnitude 8.9 offshore quake, which was followed by at least 19 aftershocks.

"The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.

There were no reports of any injuries to Canadians living or travelling in Japan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said at about 7 am ET.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 2:46 p.m. local time quake had a magnitude of 8.9, making it the biggest earthquake to hit Japan since officials began keeping records in the late 1800s. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres, about 125 kilometres off the eastern coast, the agency said.

Tsunami watches and warnings were issued for major stretches of the Pacific, including the west coasts of South America, the United States and Canada.

A wave measuring an estimated 50 centimetres was expected to hit parts of British Columbia at around 6:30 am PT, though little to no impact was anticipated in the major cities of Vancouver and Victoria.

In Japan, residents in affected areas were urged to make their way to higher ground as the tsumani, which reportedly measured between four and seven metres, swept towards land.

"There were warnings immediately telling people to stay away from coastlines and to seek higher ground or to go to the third or fourth floors of the buildings they were in," said Andrew Horvath, a Canadian living in Kyoto.
'Enormous damage' reported

Horvath said the massive wave swamped many dikes in the country's northeast, leaving a massive trail of debris. Dozens of cities and villages along the 2,100 kilometre stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres from the quake's epicentre.

Waves of muddy waters swept over farmland near the city of Sendai, carrying buildings far inland, sometimes on fire, as frantic residents attempted to drive away. Sendai airport, north of Tokyo, was inundated with cars, trucks, buses and thick mud deposited over its runways. Fires spread through a section of the city, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The tsunami roared over embankments, washing anything in its path inland before reversing directions and carrying the cars, homes and other debris out to sea. Flames shot from some of the houses, probably because of burst gas pipes.

Dozens of fires were reported in northern prefectures of Fukushima, Sendai, Iwate and Ibaraki. Collapsed homes and landslides were also reported in Miyagi.

"Our initial assessment indicates that there has already been enormous damage," Chief government spokesman Yukio Edano said. "We will make maximum relief effort based on that assessment."

He said the Defence Ministry was sending troops to the quake-hit region. A utility aircraft and several helicopters were on the way.

He also said a nuclear power plant in Fukushima developed a mechanical failure in the system needed to cool the reactor after it was shut down in Friday's earthquake.

He said the measure was a precaution and there was no radiation leak at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant. He said the facility was not in immediate danger.

In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the street to safety. TV footage showed a large building on fire and billowing smoke in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. The tremor bent the upper tip of the iconic Tokyo Tower, a 333-metre steel structure inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

"In my apartment building, which is a three-storey building, it was shaking back and forth," said Craig Dale, a Tokyo-based freelance reporter.

Osamu Akiya, 46, was working in Tokyo at his office in a trading company when the quake hit.

It sent bookshelves and computers crashing to the floor, and cracks appeared in the walls.

"I've been through many earthquakes, but I've never felt anything like this," he said. "I don't know if we'll be able to get home tonight."
Millions without power

Sadia Kaenzig, a spokeswoman for the international Red Cross, said that there are fires and damage to buildings and key infrastructure.

"Power cuts are reported for 4.4 million households," she said, noting that there were also scattered reports of landslides.

She said the Japanese Red Cross has already deployed a team to the affected areas to assess the damage and provide assistance.

Kaenzig said the Red Cross and other organizations across the Pacific are monitoring the situation as the tsunami threatens other nations.

"We are trying to push them to put in place to put in measures of preparation and preparedness," she said.

President Barack Obama sent his condolences to the people affected by the quake and the tsunami, saying the U.S. "stands ready to help" the Japanese.

"We will continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward and we are asking all our citizens in the affected region to listen to their state and local officials," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper also offered his condolences and said Canada will "stand by the people of Japan during this difficult moment."

He said in a statement that Canadian officials are carefully monitoring tsunamis in the Pacific.

Japan's worst previous quake occurred in 1923 in Kanto, an 8.3 magnitude temblor that killed 143,000 people, according to the USGS.

In later decades, Japan brought in strict building codes designed to minimize earthquake damage and loss of life, restricting the harm from seismic activity.

Still, a 7.2 magnitude quake in Kobe city in 1996 killed 6,400 people.

Japan lies on the "Ring of Fire" — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 per cent of the world's quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 nations.

A magnitude 8.8 temblor that shook central Chile last February also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people.

Japan suffers major damage in 8.9 quake - World - CBC News