Tag Archives: Earthquake

Google+

Update via Japan Times: 50cm tsunami waves expected to hit Aomori and Ibaraki prefectures…

Update via Japan Times: 50cm tsunami waves expected to hit Aomori and Ibaraki prefectures around 18:00 JST

Even though waves are not high, still recommended to get to higher ground asap.

#earthquake   #tsunamialert   #tsunami  

Embedded Link

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami/joho.html

Google+: View post on Google+

Google+

That was a very long earthquake… magnitude 7.4

Tsunami warning issued for those along the Miyagi coast: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami/index.html

#earthquake  

Google+: Reshared 6 times
Google+: View post on Google+

Uncategorized

Big quake strikes off coast of Indonesia

To all folks in the area, hope you're safe – be aware of the tsunami alert and move to high ground if you're anywhere near the coast!

EDIT to add new link: http://ptwc.weather.gov/ptwc/?region=3&id=indian.TSUIOX.2012.04.11.0845

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/11/uk-indonesia-earthquake-idUSLNE83A00K20120411

#earthquake
#tsunami
#indonesia
#sumatra

Embedded Link

Quake off Aceh triggers Indian Ocean tsunami warning
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesia issued a tsunami warning after a huge 8.9 magnitude earthquake off its westernmost province Aceh, leading panicked locals to scramble out of their houses to…

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Uncategorized

Updated Tsunami warning

JMA has updated their advisory warning people to also stay away from the Hokkaido coastline as well.

Again, predictions are for small waves, but if you're in the area, play it safe and stay away from the coastline.

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami/joho.html

#earthquake
#tsunami

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Uncategorized

Quake & Tsunami warning

Apparently there's a tsunami warning out for the coast along the Tohoku area. Expected to be small waves (around 20 in in height) but if you're in the area – don't be close to the coast!

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami/

UPDATE: tsunami warnings also issued for areas along the east coastal areas of Hokkaido.

#tsunami
#earthquake

Google+: View post on Google+

Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel Treadwell.

Experiences News

Another aftershock…

It’s hard to believe that it’s already 1 month after the 9.0 quake that hit on March 11th.  Things (particularly in Tokyo) seem more or less back to normal, aside from the bottled water shortages (PLENTY of tea and soft drinks though!) and dimmed lights.  Just yesterday I was out for tai chi, and the park where I go for my lessons was in full bloom with cherry blossoms and there were picnickers everywhere.

Today though, as I was walking back home from work, I felt the street shift below me.  It is actually quite unsettling to feel that the ground is literally sliding around under you, quite different from being in a car or building during a quake.  For a second I didn’t know what was happening until I looked up and saw my building’s bicycle stand shuddering back and forth.  The building gate was banging back and forth in its frame, and I could see the electrical wires jangling above not far away.

It settled down after about 3 minutes, but even now as I type this, I still feel a few more aftershocks.  Ha… literally as I type this my monitors wobbles from another aftershock…

The big aftershock today was a 7.1, fairly big as well, and unlike the March 11 quake, was inland instead of out to sea as you can see in the image below.   Another point of concern was that it hit close to where people are still struggling to contain the reactors.

no images were found

.

Honestly, I’ve had enough of quakes for a while now… though… I guess I would prefer a lot of smaller quakes instead of another major earth shaker like that of March 11th.

News Thoughts

Things are ok in Tokyo (so far)

It seems that all the foreign TV channels are throwing a fit on how disastrous things are in Japan.  “ZOMG it’s the end of the world and Japan is gonna sink/explode/mutate/get eaten by a relative of Godzilla”.  That is not the case.

Yes, things are bad in Fukushima, with the threat of the radiation from the damaged nuclear plants.  Things are even worse for the many of the prefectures in the Tohoku region, as they continue the search for survivors of the tsunami/earthquake in 0 degree weather, struggling to get food, running water, and basic necessities for the thousands of families that have been displaced in the wake of the disaster.  They are the ones who are feeling the worst of the disaster and all our thoughts, prayers, and support should go towards them.

But the rest of Japan is for the most  part doing just fine.  At worst, all we’ve had to suffer are power blackouts and a shortage of some foods in supermarkets.  Many companies ARE advising people to work from home, but otherwise it’s business as usual.  I’ve been especially fortunate – my family has been visiting (though so far it hasn’t been much of a vacation…) and I’ve been able to stay at their apartment right in the center of Tokyo, which (so far) has escaped the power outages.

I’ve been going in to the office every day (it’s a 10 minute walk away from my parent’s apartment), and though traffic is maybe a little lighter than usual, there are still plenty of people, cars, taxis, and buses out and about.   Train schedules have been disrupted in an effort to decrease power usage, but they are still running – it just means you may be waiting a little longer at the station than normal.

I’m not trying to downplay the gravity of the situation.  Things are not good, and definitely could get worse, but frankly, much of the international news we’ve seen is downright alarmist.  Sensationalist news sells, but does little to reassure friends and families both in Tokyo and overseas.  Fact is, right now, most of us are doing ok.

If you want to help, please donate to the relief efforts that are working closer to the radiation danger zones.  Pray for the families that have lost loved ones.  Pray that the engineers working night and day at the damaged nuclear plants are successful in cooling down the damaged reactors.  Thank you.

Link to Japan Red Cross

Link to Google Crisis Response

If you read Japanese, here is a list of items people need
(you can buy items online and choose to ship to the following address:

2-8-1, Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 163-8001,
Tokyo Metropolitan Government , Second Government Office bldg.,
1st floor center, North Eastern Pacific Earthquake Emergency Provisions Desk

News

The aftershocks continue (Sendai Earthquake)

The last few days have been surreal. As most of the world knows by now, the northern part of Japan was slammed by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11, around 14:46. Even as I type this out, my computer monitor is wobbling from yet another aftershock (have experienced 5 today so far), one of dozens that continue to jolt Japan.

When the earthquake hit, I had taken a day off from work to drive my family to the supermarket. We had just rented a car and were sitting idling in the rental car lot setting up the GPS when suddenly the car started shuddering. I initially thought it was because of a train passing underground, but the shaking just got worse. We were all getting more and more alarmed but I still didn’t think much of it until I looked across the street and saw the building in front of me literally rippling and swaying hard enough almost hit the neighboring structures.

The electric cables were swinging madly, the traffic lights and street signs rocking back and forth, and everything just became overwhelmingly chaotic as dozens of people ran out of their buildings. It only lasted for about 3-4 minutes, though with the constant aftershocks, it felt like it kept on going forever.

Believe it or not, after the worst of it was over, we still decided to head to the supermarket, figuring that was the end of that. It was only after we arrived at the supermarket that we saw live on TV the devastation that the tsunamis were causing. By this time, email and cell communications were down and we were having difficulty getting in touch with others.

(Some Before and After images of the Japanese landscape.)

We didn’t spend too much time at the supermarket. The sobering images on TV, as we saw the water sweep houses and cars away, made just want to head back home as soon as possible. It took us a solid 4+ hours to drive the 7km back to the apartment. Traffic was packed so badly it sometimes took us an hour to move 500 meters. Off in the distance we could see the smoke from the fires that had broken out at an oil refinery.

We now know that this earthquake was the largest to hit Japan (in recorded history), and that the shocks were felt as far away as the United States. The 9.0 quake was enough to move the entire main island of Japan some 16 feet/5meters to the east, shift the earth’s axis by almost a foot, and increase the speed of the earth’s rotation.

Today, the 3rd day after the quake hit, it feels almost like it’s back to business in Tokyo. People are at work, I’m in the office, and if it weren’t for the frequent tremors and the news that power blackouts will be starting soon, it would almost feel like a normal day. However, the news on TV shows us how bad it is just a few hours north, with entire towns washed away by 30-foot waves, the leaking nuclear reactors, and thousands missing or dead. I can only pause to thank God how lucky I and my family and loved ones have been, and to continue to pray for those who have are still struggling to recover from this tragedy.

Experiences

Shakin’, shakin’

There was yet another quake this morning around 07:51.  It didn’t feel quite as powerful as the last two recent ones, partially because it was also offshore, but I think the fact that I was in my office building (a new structure, and probably much more quake-proof than my apartment) also lessened the shakin’, the bakin’, the rollickin’ rattlin’ quakin’.  😉

no images were found