Tsunami in Japan

[Gatecrasher]

Devistating videos coming from japan, sky news web site says it could spread as far as south America!

[Barney McGrew]

It looks horrific - tsunami as high as 10m hit costal towns.

Philippines and Hawaii are starting to evacuate low lying areas. West Coast USA and parts of Australia have issued warnings.

[bingo70]

Devistating videos coming from japan, sky news web site says it could spread as far as south America!

Some of the scenes coming through are like something from a film, the oil refinary up in flames is unbelievable.

I'm guessing Japan is relatively well prepared for something like this considering the amount of earthquakes they get, it sounds like the major concern is that they are expecting another one to hit some of the pacific islands and the height of it is actually bigger than some of the islands.

[Barney McGrew]

19 reported deaths already, but seeing the pictures coming through it can't be anything other than much higher than that.

[Sergey]

My in-laws live near Sendai (***ushima) and we've not been able to get in touch with them at all this morning.

There's no local reports coming from the countryside.

[Ritchie]

towards the end of this video, you can see people desperately trying to drive away from the water but there is actually no where for them to go.... sad sad times!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709850

[marinello59]

My in-laws live near Sendai (***ushima) and we've not been able to get in touch with them at all this morning.

There's no local reports coming from the countryside.

I can only imagine how stressful that is for your whole family. Hope you get good news soon.

[bighairyfaeleith]

the picture of the whirlpool with th ship being pulled in is just nuts.

[Sylar]

Firstly, I sincerely hope you receive some news of comfort soon Sergey.

This is being classed as a "Superquake", with such a vast magnitude of 8.8 which is huge. The ATMC have the entire Pacific Basin on Tsunami watch just now.

The videos are breathtaking and horrifying in equal measure. There's a lot of seismic activity within the Ring of Fire just now which, from a research point of view, is extremely interesting.

Not much comfort for those living there mind you - the small Pacific Islands must be in a state of absolute panic right now.

[(((Fergus)))]

My in-laws live near Sendai (***ushima) and we've not been able to get in touch with them at all this morning.

There's no local reports coming from the countryside.

According to Der Spiegel, this is the wave reaching Sendai.

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-65598-9.html

[hibsbollah]

The ship lost in that giant whirlpool is quite unbelievable viewing. Hard to comprehend the science at work there.

[Gatecrasher]

Just seen a 10'second clip of the whirlpool, does the ship get away?

[H18sry]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/quake-japan-nuclear-idUSLHE7E801E20110311 Fire at nuclear plant, this could be disastrous if it is not brought under control.


G hope you hear good news soon mate :agree:

[Sylar]

Police in Sendai are now reporting that 2-300 bodies have been found.

They're also fairly sure that the number will rise further as the waters recede.

[bighairyfaeleith]

The way the tsunami engulfed whole towns was absolutely devastating, I genuinely have never seen anything like that before.

In one hand you are in absolute awe of nature and what it has shown itself capable of, then you remember people could be in the block of flats that have just disappeared, just goes to show how powerless we really are if nature decides to change things about.

[matty_f]

The way the tsunami engulfed whole towns was absolutely devastating, I genuinely have never seen anything like that before.

In one hand you are in absolute awe of nature and what it has shown itself capable of, then you remember people could be in the block of flats that have just disappeared, just goes to show how powerless we really are if nature decides to change things about.

:agree:

You're literally seeing people die in one of the most horrific ways going. :agree:The folk trying to outrun the tsunami in their cars - they don't stand a chance.

[frazeHFC]

Quite horrific videos. I saw one of the actual earthquake and people were running out a building as the roof was falling onto the street and they were dodging huge concrete blocks that were falling. And obviously the actual tsunami is horrific.

Some facts i just heard on the news:

33 feet high tsunami.
One of the nuclear stations has leaked radiation.
It is the 7th biggest earthquake anywhere ever recorded.
350 confirmed dead.
And i am sure they said it is 8,000 times more powerful than New Zealand's last month!!!

[seanraff07]

Very sad indeed, pretty scary to think that waves are capable of causing so much damage to everything. We're lucky enough in the U.K to never experience they sort of disasters but no matter where it happens in the world, theres not a lot you can do to prevent hundreds and thousands dying, can't even imagine what it must be like to be in the middle of that.

My thoughts are with all families living in any area threatened by the disaster.

[Gatecrasher]

Crazy pictures, sky channel 516 has the Japanese coverage

[Sir David Gray]

Some of the footage of the earthquake and then the waves from the tsunami are absolutely unbelievable, it really is like something out of a Hollywood disaster film, only this time it's real people who are being affected by it all.

In some of the videos that I've seen, it's almost certain that I saw some people during the final moments of their lives as there is just no way that anyone who was caught up in those waves could have survived.

It's quite hard to get your head around the fact that nature often manages to do in a matter of minutes what dozens of terrorist groups couldn't hope to achieve in decades. Thousands of lives are often just wiped out in the blink of an eye after an earthquake, a flood or a hurricane.

The one saving grace, which I heard someone mention on the news earlier, is that the epicentre of this earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan. If an earthquake of this magnitude had occurred in the centre of Tokyo, the number of fatalities really doesn't bear thinking about.

I think the fact that earthquakes generally just occur without much, if any, warning must make them the most frightening of natural disasters. At least with things like hurricanes, people can be given a few days' notice, and that often buys people enough time to evacuate the area and save lives. With earthquakes, people usually don't have that luxury.

I'm just glad that I stay where I stay because as much as we all complain of the dull, grey and damp Scottish weather, at least we never have to experience things like this or cyclones like the one that hit Australia last month.

[hibsbollah]

We're lucky enough in the U.K to never experience they sort of disasters

A major tsunami IS possible in the UK. Cornwall had one in the 18th century after the lisbon earthquake and there were
hundreds of deaths.

There was also a massive one in scotland in prehistoric times caused by half of norway falling into the sea and changing our entire coastline in a matter of minutes. Crazy nonsense....

[PaulSmith]

Sky news at 8.25 from world nuclear spokesman, 'these reactors are built to withstand anything'
Sky News at 8.45, pictures of nuclear reactor being blown to smithereens

[Pretty Boy]

Absolutely horrendous viewing.

I've got a couple of close friends who are currently in Tokyo, thankfully they were able to get in touch with their families very quickly to say they were ok. My heart goes out to Sergey and his family as i can only begin to imagine what they must be going through.

This is just one of these times were you see the sheer awesome force of nature and there is very little we can do about it. I can only hope the death toll isn't as high as is feared and that the nuclear situation doesn't get any worse.

[Barney McGrew]

There was also a massive one in scotland in prehistoric times caused by half of norway falling into the sea and changing our entire coastline in a matter of minutes. Crazy nonsense....

The Storegga Slide around 8000 years ago.

It's believed it covered over what was a land bridge between the southern UK and Denmark and Holland.

[Hibs Class]

A major tsunami IS possible in the UK. Cornwall had one in the 18th century after the lisbon earthquake and there were
hundreds of deaths.

There was also a massive one in scotland in prehistoric times caused by half of norway falling into the sea and changing our entire coastline in a matter of minutes. Crazy nonsense....

:agree: The likeliest cause of the next one will be volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands which will cause part of the mountain to shear off and that would cause tsunamis on south coast of UK and east coast of the US.

[Gatecrasher]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12721977


In one town alone - the port of Minamisanriku - 10,000 people were listed as unaccounted for, officials were reported as saying.

[thekaratekid]

some pictures here

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/03/earthquake-in-japan/100022/

[Removed]

some pictures here

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/03/earthquake-in-japan/100022/

Horrendous. Banda Aceh all over again. Poor people died in that. It's dreadful.

[Bishop Hibee]

Sky news at 8.25 from world nuclear spokesman, 'these reactors are built to withstand anything'
Sky News at 8.45, pictures of nuclear reactor being blown to smithereens

Given the lies that the Nuclear lobby peddle the above scenario is no surprise. Footage on the BBC website looks ominous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12720219

Thoughts and prayers with the Japanese victims of this terrible disaster.

[BroxburnHibee]

Now reporting that a meltdown is possible at the nuclear plant as fuel rods now exposed.

You've got to wonder about the wisdom of allowing nuclear reactors in that part of the world or anywhere around the 'ring of fire'.

Surely this was inevitable.

[Beefster]

Now reporting that a meltdown is possible at the nuclear plant as fuel rods now exposed.

You've got to wonder about the wisdom of allowing nuclear reactors in that part of the world or anywhere around the 'ring of fire'.

Surely this was inevitable.

Without nuclear or burning fossil fuels (which we all know is unsustainable), it would be almost impossible to meet energy demands in Japan. I suppose you have to weigh up the pros and cons of nuclear in their totality - not just in the event of one of the biggest ever recorded earthquakes.

Anyway, I don't want to turn this thread into a nuclear debate so apologies for going off-topic.

[lapsedhibee]

You've got to wonder about the wisdom of allowing nuclear reactors in that part of the world or anywhere around the 'ring of fire'.

That's scientists for you.

It's also scientists who claim that the Castle Rock volcano is "extinct", though I heard a rumble coming from there early yesterday afternoon. Should we be afraid/very afraid? :wink:

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I heard that too! 1 o'clock I think!

[SRHibs]

Incredible.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm

Jesus.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-zfCBCq-8I

[CB_NO3]

Tsunami part 2 about to hit Japan any minute according to BBC news.

[Calvin]

Just been reported on 5 Live that there's been a second explosion at the nuclear plant, this time in the third reactor. Worrying stuff.

[GlesgaeHibby]

Just been reported on 5 Live that there's been a second explosion at the nuclear plant, this time in the third reactor. Worrying stuff.

Very worrying indeed given that unlike the first reactor which contained only uranium, the 3rd reactor has a mix of uranium and plutonium.

[Sylar]

Doesn't look like improvement anytime soon, as leading USGS seismologists are warning that another large quake (>7Ri) could strike by Thursday.

Go onto the USGS Earthquake website and have a look at the past week maps around Japan. The amount of registered shocks and aftershocks in the past 7 days is huge, suggesting that they are indeed building up to something bigger.

[Westie1875]

A 3rd explosion has now taken place at the ***ushima plant, and they're saying that they think the container of one of the reactors has been damaged. I'm not sure what the consequences of the 2nd part are but it doesn't sound like good news. :confused:

[(((Fergus)))]

A 3rd explosion has now taken place at the ***ushima plant, and they're saying that they think the container of one of the reactors has been damaged. I'm not sure what the consequences of the 2nd part are but it doesn't sound like good news. :confused:

According to NOAA the prognosis is that the radioactive cloud will head out into the Pacific.

http://www.spiegel.de/images/image-191449-galleryV9-vlfo.jpg

[greenlex]

Residents within a 30km radius of the plant being told to stay indoors.:(

[(((Fergus)))]

Residents within a 30km radius of the plant being told to stay indoors.:(

***ushima city is within the 30-mile radius - that's about 300,000 people.

[SteveHFC]

BREAKING NEWS
Number 4 reactor is on FIRE again!
Flames are rising from the reactor!

[Gatecrasher]

This is gonna end bad unless something is done soon. I hope they get the help they need quickly

[bighairyfaeleith]

Apparently we are chartering planes to get brits out of japan!!

I hope we are charging them:rolleyes:

[steakbake]

Apparently we are chartering planes to get brits out of japan!!

I hope we are charging them:rolleyes:

... or at least checking their tax status and prioritising the thousands of Brits who sweep the streets of Tokyo over those flash harries who work in the banks (... and brought a once proud country to it's knees... ) etc etc etc....

[Aaron]

Apparently we are chartering planes to get brits out of japan!!

I hope we are charging them:rolleyes:

They are free if you have been 'directly affected' by the disaster or £600 if not and they only go as far to Hong Kong.

[(((Fergus)))]

They are free if you have been 'directly affected' by the disaster or £600 if not and they only go as far to Hong Kong.


China has second thoughts about nuclear:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12769392