By UPDATE #1: It appears the news from Japan is going to continue to get worse before it gets better as the media is becoming more aware of the extent of what happened. Here is the latest casualty totals from Sendai:
Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 178 were confirmed killed, with 584 missing. Police also said 947 people were injured. [Associated Press]
It looks like the deaths from this earthquake in just the Sendai region will approach a 1,000. The news is reporting that a dam burst and a bullet train was washed away in northern Japan as well. Hopefully the death toll from this does not approach anywhere near the 6,400 death toll from the Kobe Earthquake in 1995. Absolutely a tragedy for the people of Japan that I hope the United States does everything possible to assist. On the news it has been said that the US Navy is sending in relief assets to include the USS Ronald Reagan to assist in the rescue and recovery effort. I much rather see the US military assisting the good people of Japan instead of in Libya.
The tsunami warnings that were issued across the Pacific seem to have been effective as no reports of deaths have been issued yet though one person taking pictures of the tsunami was washed out to sea that the Coast Guard is trying to recover. It was reported on the news that Crescent City in California suffered some significant harbor damage.
Many high resolution images from the disaster in Japan can be viewed here.
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This is some horrible news from Japan:
A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan’s eastern coast Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people, as widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.
Authorities said at least 40 people were killed and 39 missing after the magnitude 8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot (7-meter) tsunami. The quake was followed by more than 20 aftershocks for hours, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. The death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of the disaster.
Dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the epicenter.
“The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan,” Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.
Japan issued a state of emergency at a nuclear power plant after its cooling system had a mechanical failure. Trouble was reported at two other nuclear plants as well, but there was no radiation leak at any.
Read more at the link but this is looking like the damage is going to be far worse than the Christchurch earthquake that struck New Zealand a couple of weeks ago because of the tsunami. Just look at what the tsunami did to the Sendai Airport:
Here is another picture of the tidal wave:
Many more pictures from the earthquake and tsunami can be viewed here. Really the only good news I can take from this is that it is amazing the difference in the loss of lives between the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China and this one. The Sichuan Earthquake killed over 69,000 people and this one in Japan will probably be a 100+. I think this just shows how important enforcing building codes are, which the Japanese government should be commended for.
Below you can see where the epicenter of the quake was, which at 8.9 in magnitude is considered the biggest quake to ever hit Japan:
There are now tsunami warnings in Hawaii as they await land fall of the tidal wave:
Hawaii and other parts of the Pacific including the U.S. western coast braced for a destructive tsunami early Friday after a massive earthquake struck in Japan.
Tsunami sirens were sounded and coastal areas were being evacuated in Hawaii, where the first waves were expected to hit about 6 a.m. PST Friday. [Daily News]
The tidal wave has already hit Wake Island in the northern Pacific and the waves measured at about 18 inches. Supposedly this means that the tsunami when it makes land fall in Hawaii could reach 6 feet according to the article. Kushibo has updates from Hawaii and is currently out of the evacuation zone.
Absolutely tragic events in Japan and hopefully the good people of Hawaii get through this okay.
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12:18 am on March 11th, 2011 1
"The Sichuan Earthquake killed over 69,000 people and this one in Japan will probably be a 100+. I think this just shows how important enforcing building codes are, which the Japanese government should be commended for."
ahem… you do realize the difference right? The Sichuan earthquake happened right on land, while this one happened off the coast of Japan, in the sea where nobody lived. All the damage shown above is due to a huge tidal wave.
12:32 am on March 11th, 2011 2
I hear Hawaii is evacuating people from the coastal areas. Where is Kushibo? Has he been washed away?
12:43 am on March 11th, 2011 3
Leave it to tom to never let a crisis go to waste…
People are dying and he makes jokes. He acts like he has no family.
2:00 am on March 11th, 2011 4
I think Tom was serious.
@ Tom, GO Korea's article notes at the end Kushibo is at an evac site.
2:46 am on March 11th, 2011 5
Tom, you're a genius, pure genius! So you're saying the earthquake occurred in the sea, where nobody lives? Yes you should commend the Japanese government for enforcing building codes which probably read something like: "No Japanese home shall be built in the sea."
Tom, you are really a funny guy and are likely the Chinese "George Costanza" from Seinfeld. Keep up the good work!
3:48 am on March 11th, 2011 6
Over 1,000 dead, thousands missing including a boat carrying 100 passengers, 8,000 times stronger than the one that hit Christchurch, NZ…
Even though I've been brain washed by my government to hate Japan and their people, this is just horrible thing to happen to a nation. I hope MB is doing something to help Japan instead of going to church and praying.
4:55 am on March 11th, 2011 7
This is really, really terrible… probably bigger than we yet realize.
This is the type of thing one needs to save their sincere compassion for.
There will be far more than 100+… innocent people… of which the vast majority are good… and undeserving of something like this.
My heart truly goes out to the nation of Japan and the people affected by this.
Unfortunately, with so many cities, and megacities, being built in well-known danger zones with very little real preparation, we are likely to see more of this…
…or worse.
6:37 am on March 11th, 2011 8
I have provided updates at the top of the posting. It looks like the death toll from this is going to rise greatly if all the reports of dams breaking and bullet trains being washed away are true. I feel horrible for the people of Japan who are suffering through this tragedy.
6:56 am on March 11th, 2011 9
This is a horrible tragedy. Sichuan, Haiti, and now Tohoku.
Obviously the threat to Hawaii was very small compared to what had already happened in Japan, but the coastal evacuations were very real to us here, and that's necessarily what we had to focus on. The sirens were blaring at intervals lasting past 2 a.m.
A Japanese friend of mine felt kinda stupid telling her relatives back in Japan (farther south, so they're okay) "don't worry about me, everything's fine," but she sorta had to.
The tsunami swells caused millions of dollars of damage in Hawaii, and millions more in northern California. Were it not for an effective tsunami warning system and response, there would have been at least a few deaths in coastal areas.
Godspeed to all in Japan. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of them.
7:45 am on March 11th, 2011 10
Pray be with the families in Japan
8:01 am on March 11th, 2011 11
"ahem… you do realize the difference right? The Sichuan earthquake happened right on land, while this one happened off the coast of Japan, in the sea where nobody lived. All the damage shown above is due to a huge tidal wave."
This is a prime example of why S. Koreans have the highest IQ's in the world. I bow in awe of the cerebral superiority.
8:49 am on March 11th, 2011 12
#10
:0 On On, my side hurt.
That being said, all my best to the Japanese People in their time of great pain.
9:35 am on March 11th, 2011 13
"This is a prime example of why S. Koreans have the highest IQ’s in the world. I bow in awe of the cerebral superiority."
Damn right, and don't you forget it! lol.
10:25 am on March 11th, 2011 14
"Damn right, and don’t you forget it! lol."
How can we Tom? Your unwavering presence here at the "Drop", keeps this idea fresh while simultaneously invalidating any authenticity.
10:32 am on March 11th, 2011 15
Aside from the humanitarian and relief aid efforts, the U.S. military (Navy) probably has another pressing mission now.
The area where the earthquake occurred is a tectonic plate subduction zone (the plates move directly towards and go under and over each other). That has the potential to create a significant amount of vertical displacement in the ocean's subsurface (mountain building). The Navy will probably need to do a survey as soon as possible to map out any changes in the geography there.
Considering the amount of submarine traffic there, they wouldn't want to have another incident like this one with the USS San Francisco.
2:19 pm on March 11th, 2011 16
I wonder what kind of AID Korea will give to their neighbors. They are planning to lend assistence to them — Right?
4:23 pm on March 11th, 2011 17
Off topic but I have to mention it.
We will be keeping a toll and tally of casualties from this event. I read where there was one casualty in the USA (California) attributed to it. The guy and his friends were TAKING PICTURES from a sandbar after a tsunami warnings for the area had been given. Why do we blame inanimate objects and natural events when people do stupid things? If someone slips and falls while playing games and hanging off a balcony, do we say they were killed by gravity?
6:25 pm on March 11th, 2011 18
Tom,
It's all fun and games until a Japanese reactor sends a plume of radiation toward Korea. Be careful what type of failure you wish for.
…though we will likely both wonder why these reactors don't have backups on the safeguards on the secondary auxiliary systems which backup the safeguards on the primary auxiliary system… etc… in an area that will INEVITABLY have a disaster such as this.
JoeC,
Where is your compassion? You are starting to sound like me… little pity for people who go out of their way to cause problems for themselves… which frequently causes problems for those around them.
It sure isn't popular in some circles to point that out, though.
Kushibo,
I look forward to your thoughts on Hawaii's preparedness for this type of thing. It sounds like they had their act together… something which restores my faith in America when it comes to my attention.
Retired GI,
I imagine Korea is doing a lot for Japan right now… and I bet we won't hear a peep about Dokdo from either side for at least 6 months.
My take is that much of the Korea-Japan rivalry on both sides is self-inflicted by their governments as yet another tool in a large toolbox of manipulation and direction of citizens. When the tool is put away, the two nations get along just fine.
7:46 pm on March 11th, 2011 19
About an hour ago, there was a massive explosion at one of the damaged reactors.
No word yet on if it was the containment chamber or something else.
The Korean meteorology department is watching this… but say the winds are favorable to Korea. Perhaps the yellow dust from China is better than glowing dust from Japan.
Anyway, keep an eye on this.
9:07 pm on March 11th, 2011 20
Word on the street is that the reactor is no longer contained and everybody is screwed.
9:37 pm on March 11th, 2011 21
The winds always blow from west to east, the radiation should be out of Korea's way, but places like Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, and California are certainly screwed.
This tells you how bad the Japanese nuclear plant designs are. They are not safe, with unacceptable number of stoppages in the past, and now this shocking knowledge that they didn't even have acceptable backup power generators. This will show Turkey and Vietnam why they should buy Korean nuclear plants instead of the ones from Japan.
7:32 am on March 12th, 2011 22
ChickenHead wrote:
The authorities do have their act together. Both for this quake and for the one that struck Chile about a year ago, they quickly calculated the time and the potential risk and they got people mobilized. They pushed hard to get people out of the pre-determined evacuation zones (it's online and in the phone book) or up above the likely water line (getting people out of densely packed Waikiki is too much of a challenge, so they move people up to higher floors).
During the Chile-induced tsunami, the authorities publicized the higher estimates of the swells because they worried a lot of people wouldn't take it seriously, and it turned out to be a non-event. There was worry that people wouldn't take it seriously this time because of the Chile non-event, even though they were more certain of a higher wave this time around. The authorities were out en masse getting people off the beaches. Even inland, the sirens were blaring at regular intervals.
In the end, most of the islands were safe, but there were still millions of dollars in damage to boats and some coastal facilities. Had they not cleared everyone off the beaches on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island, there would have been fatalities, just like with the Darwin Award winner in Crescent City, California.
They take tsunamis seriously in Hawaii because of past deaths, and the same is true up in Northern California (e.g., Eureka and Crescent City). That is not something to be proud of: Preparation for these things is pretty intense now because in the past we didn't prepare much at all and a lot of people died.
I should also note that the newly minted deficit hawks in Washington, who previously didn't mind adding trillions upon trillions of dollars to the national debt, are supposedly trying to slash the budget of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System.
7:42 am on March 12th, 2011 23
Tom wrote:
Yes, we know from all the yellow dust spewing from China which way the wind blows.
Folks in Toronto better watch themselves, too.
I wholeheartedly agree. No one should by forty-year-old GE nuclear power plants that have been in Japan.
Careful, Tom. Karma is listening. I would really hate for you to ruin the track record.
At any rate, aren't there supposed to be nuclear power plant designs that make the "China syndrome" (no, no… that's not what Tom has) a mechanical impossibility? We need to put money into nuclear technology so that we can make the small-scale nuclear plants that are cheaper to build and far safer to operate.
Where's Doc Brown when we need him?
7:43 am on March 12th, 2011 24
Whoops, THIS is the Karma-listening link.
9:09 am on March 12th, 2011 25
Tom, when the financial mess came down in 1997, I was not among those ragging on Koreagov or Korea Inc. I was too busy crappin' my pants as I calculated how my hard-earned life savings had been slashed in half.
9:54 am on March 12th, 2011 26
Maybe you weren't part of the ragging group, but I've read all the sites over the years to know, you're just one person.
When people were bashing Korea and making fun of Samsung and Hyundai and ridiculing their poor Korean quality, I (and probably many other Koreans who were reading) thought you guys wait one day.. let's see what you guys will say in the future about Korea. It was fun to see what happened to GM and Chrysler and companies like Lehman Brothers.
3:54 pm on March 12th, 2011 27
Thanks for that link Kushibo. I particularly liked this paragraph:
“In 1997, I heard over and over and over again how messed up Korea was to have gotten into the financial crisis it found itself. True, that, but I was reminded of the hubris that came along with that — “this is not how we do it in the West/US” — last year when the American finance system was in meltdown for much the same kind of thing. ”
And here I am, ragging on you, just like you Americans who did the same to Koreans back in the 1990′s, I’m the karma that came to life.
11:34 am on March 13th, 2011 28
I'm waiting for someone to blame all this on global warming. No one's said anything yet cause the shock is still settling in. After a few weeks as the initial sympathy starts to recede you'll get a bunch of people trying to say CO2 levels and the EWEM's are the root cause of this catastrophe.