I'm up at this hour and watching coverage of the horrendous news from Japan. It looks like the Tokyo area hasn't been hit hard by the earthquake, variously reported as either an 8.9 (CNN) or 8.4 (NHK). I have CNN on my teeve and NHK World streaming video on my PC. The tsunami damage in Sendai is extensive, with the airport completely engulfed and a lot of farmland completely inundated. The live video coverage has been extensive and quite good, as far as production values go. I've never seen live footage of a tsunami before and the effect of the wave is mind-boggling. The damage is going to run into the billions of dollars, the human toll is largely unknown at this point.
I watched the Japanese prime minister's brief comments a short while ago, and the good news is there is no damage or incidents at Japan's many nuclear power plants.
My best wishes go out to the Japanese people.
Prayers go out for them.
ReplyDeleteHi! awoke at approx 0200PCT--couldn't believe my eyes...one damn thing after another. Supposed to come ashore at Santa Monica at 0839local w. 4' wave heights affecting mainly the Marinas and some beach-homes..
ReplyDeleteI heard this morning that the 30 foot tusnami traveled at 480mph; dear lord how does anything or anyone survive that?
ReplyDeleteThe husband of someone I work with is there right now; he is OK thank god however some of the people he was traveling with are unaccounted for.
Pray for all of them.
A short while ago I read that the cooling system on one of the nuke plants had - failed. Gulp.
I know through the decades I've been wandering on the face of this planet that there have been earthquakes and other natural disasters, but it seems like there are more of them than I recall from earlier years.
ReplyDeleteMaybe its just that word of them is so much easier, but it seems this ol' globe is going through some tough times.
I wish the Japanese people well during this horrible event, that they recover and that the deaths are minimal.
I've never been in an earthquake, but from videos and film I've seen, I am grateful for it. Some things we just take as immutable, the earth being solid beneath our feet (for those of us who have never been in a quake, anyway). To have that be shown in a sudden and violent way to be false has to shock the system.
A terrible tragedy. I hope they can recover from this. What about Hawaii? Anyone heard yet?
ReplyDeleteHawaii got hit with waves, but no major damages... at least as of yet.
ReplyDeleteWaves 7 ft high on Maui, 3 ft in Oahu and Kauai. These waves can get larger though, so not sure if they are out of the woods as yet.
Whole town swept away. Very scary.
ReplyDeleteVirgil: I'm just out o' bed and haven't heard much about the Left Coast as yet... but I'm thinkin' the impact was minimal.
ReplyDelete...dear lord how does anything or anyone survive that?
The short answer is they don't, Kris. I'm glad your co-worker is safe. CNN just finished sayin' all's well at the nuclear facilities, apparently, but there has been extensive damage.
...it seems like there are more of them than I recall from earlier years.
One of the Taking Heads I watched last evening mentioned this, Anon, and ascribed the phenomenon to many more people living in earthquake zones than before and instantaneous communication. I've been in several earthquakes but never at Ground Zero, so to speak. They're terrifying events, even on the periphery of the major destruction zone.
Dan: I'm pretty sure Hawaii was unscathed... and Anon pretty much confirms.
Gordon and Jeff: Yep.
This is so very frightening. I offer prayers for the Japanese people -- they're in for a very, very long haul. Plus, I just heard that the pressure in one of the reactors in building quickly in thecwake of the cooling system failure.
ReplyDeleteI've been in only a mild quake and that was bizarre enough.
I've been at work all morning and just now checked the CNN news online...and there is still a fresh news article on Charlie Sheen! Can you believe it?
ReplyDeleteSome of us need to do a serious value check. Let's keep Japan and her citizens in our thoughts and prayers - not Charlie Sheen.
Poor Japan! I'm glad we're sending aid ASAP and I hope all goes well with their nuclear reactors. Oh dear, another earthquake (or aftershock) in Tokyo.
ReplyDeleteWe were awakened twice just before 5am - one advisory message from the county and one from the city. And then one call at 7am from my dad. So far so good, though. The northern coast may have gotten the worst of it. We'll see. Doug was out and about, but I'm keeping an eye on the web cam as I continue working -
http://www.hotellaguna.com/beach_cam.php
Things have changed with respect to at least one nuclear power plant:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/11/japan-issues-emergency-nuke-plant-leak/
Not much detail, but it seems that the cooling system has failed. I was a nuclear power plant operator aboard the submarines, so I can reasonably assert that this is not good. However, these plants generally have backup systems for just such an event.
Moogie and BR: Yeah, I'm watching the news as we speak and the news about the power plants ain't good. Still and even, there have been MANY references about the Japanese engineering their plants with earthquakes in mind. One wonders just how much can be done in the face of a Great quake, tho.
ReplyDeleteBec: I'm glad all y'all on the Left Coast are OK. This could have been much worse for Hawaii and all y'all.
Red: You are OH-so-right about priorities, M'Dear. Some people...
I watched the news this morning and was just awed by the videos coming from Japan. My prayers do go out to them.
ReplyDeleteGiven that the magnitude of this quake was so high, I fear that the devastation is going to be worse than is being reported so far.
ReplyDeleteThe troubles with the nuke plants are pretty scary as well.
On the good side, if you can call it that, the US has one Carrier there and another on the way. And, just showin' that Yankees are on the ball... the NY Yankees have donated $100,000 to relief efforts. Like 'em or not, they are always among the first to donate to various causes like this.
I know that population centers have changed over the years, and the reporting is better, but it still seems like there are more events like this lately. This wouldn't be all that far out, as the earth is all connected and quakes in one part of the globe can cause shifting. New Zealand, Haiti, Japan within a relatively short time. Scary.
I also saw something about a "super" moon, where the moon is closer to the earth. They predicted a high mag quake within 10 days prior to after the full or new moon. Not sure if this has any validity, but I can understand the moon exerting gravity above usual levels causing enough change that plates can shift.
My prayers are for the Japanese and those affected by this. I am grateful that the left coast hasn't seemed to be affected as yet.
Lou: I was up all danged night watching the news... I've never seen anything like it.
ReplyDeleteAnon: Interesting points.