Friday, March 11, 2011

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami (Video)

This sudden and massive destruction in Japan is incredible.

From the Associated Press:

A massive tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the 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 at least 19 aftershocks, 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.

Here's video:





Watch a LIVE STREAM here.

Hawaii, Pacific Brace for Impact After Tsunami Warning Issued
Hawaii and other parts of the Pacific 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 3 a.m. (1300 GMT) Friday.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has widened its tsunami warning beyond East Asia early Friday to include Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, the entire U.S. western coast, Mexico and Central and South America and the rest of the Pacific Ocean.

Chip McCreary, the center's director, said tsunami waves have the potential to swamp coastal areas of all Hawaii's islands.

"What these waves look like is an elevation of sea level, where the sea level will rise above its normal level and stay high for 10 or 15 minutes before it starts to recede," he said. "As a result of this, in a tsunami wave, that water can flood the coast line and be a hazard to people and buildings on the coast."

Amazing.

This disaster reminds me how powerless we really are.

I hope the protesters in Madison and elsewhere around Wisconsin pause to reflect on their blessings.

As casualties mount, my prayers go out to the people of Japan and those threatened by the tsunami.

2 comments:

Pike riddle said...

The only effective way of detecting people under the rubble - it's infrared camera
Оnly amphibious military hovercraft can travel on the destroyed roads and deliver food and medicines and to evacuate large groups of people.

Pike riddle said...

Seismic activity is the result of a solar flare on 13-15 February 2011.
The largest number of thermographs (Portable Thermal Imaging Cameras), to search for people under the rubble by fixing heat of the human body, have the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Мost of these cameras mounted on military equipment. Some quantity of IR cameras have their manufacturers in warehouses.
Dubai can help to Japan more than any other. because in Dubai is concentrated 20% of construction equipment (mostly cranes) that may needed to clearing concrete rubble.
Аdequate logistics for the delivery of this equipment has the U.S. Army and the operating companies of largest aircrafts An-124.