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2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Sendei, Japan, on March 11, 2011.

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May God Help The Japanese!

  • Mar 11, 2011
Exclusive to the Lunch Network
Rating:
-5
I remembered back when I was a child, there was a Japanese tv series titled "The Sinking of Japan" (A movie was later made in 2006, I believe). We love it so much so we were glued to the tv whenever the series was on. When I saw what happened to Sendai this afternoon (a city I had once visited), instinctively, THE SINKING OF JAPAN came to mind. Yes, I spent an afternoon following the news and images. Clearly, seeing it on the news is a vast difference from experiencing it live. The one time I felt earthquake was when I was in L.A. some 2 decades ago or before. Even that time, I was in bed and I managed to feel giddy for a few minutes!

Ok, Hollywood 'glorifies' disaster. These scenes are not from Hollywood but a reasonably scene from Japanese movie "Sinking of Japan". They are not news clips from today's tsunami that hits Japanese coasts. Instead, they are what could have been and if indeed that day come, the world will certainly feel its ripples, one way or another. Until that day come, let's take a look at what's going on right now, this very moment.



Japan is one of the countries (if not the only one) in the world best equipped to handle a crisis like a tsunami and earthquake. The Japanese have a system intact which they trained their toddlers to follow whenever something of this extent happens. So, if you've to be in an earthquake zone, Japan is probably the country you'd like to be in. That is, IF you've to be there! Now, right at this moment, a lot of people don't want to be in Japan. Airports and public transports are all halted. People have no way to go home after work. Thank God it's friday too, they can at least go out drinking, if they have the mood, that is. Look, I'm not taking things lightly, just that if there is nothing much you can do other than worry, then the next best thing is to get the most out of a difficult situation, is it not?

The biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years, a 10-m tsunami and 50 countries are feared to be affected. As it is still ongoing in the world, we clearly have no idea the exact path of the tsunami and the total destruction it will wrecked. Hopefully, we have seen the worst this afternoon but it is unlikely since the tsunami is still moving towards some small islands in the Pacific Rim as well & as far as New Zealand and Chile! I just learned today that tsunami waves actually travel as quickly as the Boeing 737, ie. at 800 km/h. Tsunami waves also come in more than one, that means it can move ashore, back to sea and then returns in full force some 20 mins later! Tsunami is now expected in Hawaii and countries like Indonesia, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

According to official sources, "This is a massive one, and it will have different effects depending on the location, on the seabed, and on other sorts of characteristics. But clearly this is very very large, and from that perspective, all countries need to be alert, on standby for the moment." Many countries in Asia are evacuating their residents to higher areas, especially after the last disaster in 2004. CNN reported that

~~~ Friday's 8.9-magnitude temblor in Japan was the largest earthquake since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Banda Aceh area of Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, causing a massive tsunami that killed about 250,000 people in 14 countries and washed away entire communities. The tsunami caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations.

The earthquake, initially reported as a 7.8 earthquake, was upgraded to an 8.9 quake.

"When you jump a magnitude from 7 to 8, it's not 10 times stronger, it's 1000 times stronger," said CNN International meteorologist Ivan Cabrera. "With an ... earthquake that shallow, that close to shore, there will be more than one tsunami." ~~~


So, watch out for all that's happening in the world. And PRAY as hard as you can for everyone's sake!!!

Updates:
I'm now updating this event to a -5 as the number of lives lost have increased tremendously due to the tsunami in Japan. Luckily, the damage is contained elsewhere. However, Japan suffered the most with expected death toll to as many as over 10,000! A city near Sendai had been totally wiped out and as many as 9500 people are feared missing!

Looking at the pictures coming out of Sendai, I could no longer recognized the city I once visited a few years back. The rebuilding will take time and other parts of Japan are also experiencing stress and anxiety. As many as 6 million households were without electricity and water at one stage the last 2 days. The disaster has demonstrated how insignificant humans can be when it comes to dealing with a natural disaster of this scale. Fortunately for me, my friends in Tokyo are not badly affected. Still, the residents wonder when and if there will be more aftershocks of that magnitude! What a scary thought to live through in coming days!
May God Help Us All! May God Help Us All! May God Help Us All!

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March 12, 2011
This video hits very close to home in regards to our recent events. My thoughts and prayers go out to the persons and families affected in this disaster.
 
March 11, 2011
This was such a sad event--I also saw the SINKING OF JAPAN. That was pretty freaky.
March 12, 2011
There's an article about Supermoon & the havocs it's expected to wreck next week! Check it out: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110310/sc_sp...triggernaturaldisasters
 
March 11, 2011
Great write-up of an unfortunate situation. My thoughts are with everyone that was affected by this earthquake. I posted it on my FB page, too.
March 12, 2011
Luckily for everyone concerned, things haven't got out of hand...
March 12, 2011
True and I hope it stays that way!
 
March 11, 2011
Very learned piece, thanks. California gets quakes too and is quite prepared as well, thanks. I am curious why a minus 4? I would have said minus 5! Nothing good about this disaster! :) Good write up.
March 11, 2011
Outside of some choppy waves, San Francisco is still here and says hello. :)
March 12, 2011
A -5 would be a situation where people are caught off-guard, there's nowhere to run (like in some islands) and when the destruction is almost total. As I mentioned in the article, IF an earthquake has to happen, Japan would be the place you want to be when it happens. The citizens are well prepared, the system in place and the architecture designed to withstand such disaster much better than any other countries in the world. Also, the tsunami happened in an area that's not so highly densely populated (as compared to many other cities like Tokyo, Yokohama, etc...). Where the tsunami hits is also farmland. Hence, it's not the worst situation out of a bad situation. Granted, there are death tolls, but even that is a manageable one (unlike the last one in Indonesia & the entire Pacific Rim). Hence, for a tsunami that height, the damage is contained, imho.
March 12, 2011
OK, that's fine. It did affect the west coast of the USA as well, mostly property damage. The waves were uneven. Some areas were really swamped while other areas near SF were not damaged at all. I would like to think my area is prepared as well. The city and Bay Area go through inter city drills and disaster drills constantly. In the Menlo Park area we are currently training Japanese firefighters so they can go back to their country to help. It's an international effort which is good to see. Another good point is that we don't have to hear about Charlie Sheen for awhile, LOL.
 
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More 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsun... reviews
review by . March 20, 2011
posted in Business Matters
Aftershocks!
Now that the Japanese Yen has skyrocketed to an all time high against the US$, what are the raminifications for the world at large? Japan is after all the 2nd largest economy in the world for the majority of the last few decades, until recently overtaken by China.       Japanese have a great deal of investments (direct or indirect) in the world. Japanese also holds a lot of treasury bills. This has the world at large trembling with fears as to what the Japanese would do …
review by . March 23, 2011
The recent earthquake and tsunami reminded me of an ancient Azetc word I learned from a Mexican friend a long time ago called OLLIN. When the earth trembles and the big storm invade, the ancient Aztecs describe this tremendous power of Nature in a single word OLLIN, which also means to move and act now with all of your heart.     When a natural disaster happens, it is like Mother Earth's signal to tell us to move and act now wholeheartedly in following our sacred paths without …
review by . March 14, 2011
I just saw this video someone took from their apartment.  It gives you an amazing and extremely eerie, point of view example of the quake unfolding.   Gave me chills the first time I watched it.         http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oQVPfQu50yY      Apparently, Japan's emergency warning system detects P-waves, and then alerts people on on their computers before the bigger S-waves arrive. They also do …
review by . March 12, 2011
An emergency of epic proportions......how can I help?
As if an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and a 23 foot tsunami were not enough the people of Japan now have to deal with the potential fallout from a massive explosion that has rocked the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. It is not yet clear whether massive levels of radiation have been released into the atmosphere. This powerful blast has the potential to exacerbate the problem many times over and put millions more people at risk.  Please join me in praying that this turns out not to be …
review by . March 20, 2011
posted in Go Japan
The Panic Sets In
Exactly a week after the 9.0 magnitude and tsunami in northern Japan, I found myself landing in Shanghai, a city which is a mere 2 hours flight from Tokyo. Flights, I was told, are full for those trying to get out of Tokyo. It's a hectic exodus for many foreigners who study, live or vacationing in Japan. Foreign companies are chartering flights to get their staff out, no matter what the cost is!            So, the potential danger? Radiation! Yes, we heard …
review by . March 11, 2011
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
What You Simply Must Know About Today's 8.9 Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
8.9 Earthquake in Japan and Asian Tsunami   Across the Pacific  By: Dr. Joseph S. Maresca      An 8.9 earthquake ( Richter scale) hit Honshu, Japan earlier today  . There was tremendous   devastation everywhere.  The last major event of this size in Asia was on   12-16- 1920 in Gansu , China.  200,000 people died in the Gansu earthquake.   The actual loss of life in Japan may not be known for weeks.  The biggest   …
Quick Tip by . March 11, 2011
Those videos are surreal. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what I've seen. My thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.
review by . May 03, 2011
posted in Supercontents
Japan Earthquake
By Dr. Joseph S. Maresca 8.9 Earthquake in Japan and Asian Tsunami Across the Pacific An 8.9 earthquake (Richter scale) hit Honshu, Japan just hours ago. There was tremendous devastation everywhere.  The last major event of this size in Asia was on 12-16-1920 in Gansu, China.  200,000 people died in the Gansu earthquake. The actual loss of life in Japan may not be known for weeks.  The biggest concern in Japan right now is the impact on nuclear power plants in the country. Reactors …
Quick Tip by . March 11, 2011
posted in Earth Watch
Caption
For an earthquake of that magnitude, it hasn't wrecked as much havoc as it could have. The blessing lies in that it hits not the most populated area of Tokyo but Sendai instead. Yes, the tsunami caused financial damages insofar that a lot of farmlands are wiped out. Hopefully, as of now, it is not one that rivals that of the 2004 tsunami! Death tolls have climbed to 1598 (Monday) with 9500 unaccounted for in one city. It's total destruction in some areas in Sendai and nearby cities.
Quick Tip by . March 11, 2011
This is truly horrific. My heart breaks for anyone caught up in this.
see all 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsun... reviews (15)
About the reviewer
Sharrie ()
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I'm a traveler at heart & have been nicknamed Travel Queen by friends & colleagues alike. Traveling has been my life passion for the last decade or so. As we enter a new decade, I'm excited … more
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About this event

Wiki

The 2011 Sendai, Japan earthquake was an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. It was located off the east coast of Tohoku, Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC at a depth of 24.4 km (15.2 miles). Originally a 7.9, it was upgraded to an 8.8, then again to an 8.9 by the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake occurred on 130 km (80 miles) east of Sendai, Honshu, Japan. It presented a possibility of triggering tsunami in the area as well as in Yoshi, Japan. The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath. In Tokyo, crowds huddled together and tried to reach relatives via cell phone. Its epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said. A 7.7 aftershock was reported 30 minutes following the initial quake. As a result of the quake, smoke could be seen rising from a building in Tokyo port while Shinkansen bullet trains stopped and Haneda Airport suspended operation after the quake struck.

More than 4 million buildings lost power, and many buildings caught fire.

The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for Japan's pacific coast and various other countries, including Russia, Guam, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua Guinea, Nauru, Hawaii, northern Marinas and Taiwan. The tsunami warning issued by Japan was the most serious on its warning scale, implying that the wave was expected to be 10 meters high. A 0.5 meter high wave hit Japan's northern coast.

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