chattius 2,520 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Was informed about it 30 minutes ago. 5 minutes ago my sister informed me that her daughter is okay. She is currently in an exchange program in Japan. Toi toi toi to all the people in that area. Link to comment
Stormwing 40 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Glad to hear your relavite is okay, chattius. Quite a shocker indeed... I don't know anyone there, but I'm quite fond of the Japan in general. They say it was the most destructive one in modern Japan. Tells quite a lot of it. Just hoping everything gets sorted out and hopefully no afterquakes... Link to comment
Knuckles 904 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I don't know anyone there either but I hope and pray everyone is ok. They have tsunami warnings for the whole U.S. west coast including southern Alaska Link to comment
Delta! 985 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 That is terrible. Isn't the country with the most earthquakes? In the sense of natural disasters, I think South Africa is very safe, infrequent flooding, but no earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, or well those disasters. But you are in danger of murder, rape, robbing/mugging/hijacking and other terrible crimes. Link to comment
Stormwing 40 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 ^ Yeah, Japan really is disaster-sensitive area. Being where tectonic plates collide and being a series of isles. Could say that Finland is really safe, when it comes to natural disasters. If memory serves, strongest earthquakes have been something like 1-2 on richter scale. No massiver floods or anything. Though last summer we had terrible thunderstorms. Might be due some climate related stuff. Link to comment
gogoblender 3,068 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 This is a HUGE Earthquake, I actually don't think I remember one reported larger than this one before personally. Calling my family now to see if some of our relatives there are okay. My thoughts for everyone afflicted, is emergency services keeping up? gogo Link to comment
wolfie2kX 528 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) That is terrible. Isn't the country with the most earthquakes? In the sense of natural disasters, I think South Africa is very safe, infrequent flooding, but no earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, or well those disasters. But you are in danger of murder, rape, robbing/mugging/hijacking and other terrible crimes. And let's not forget being eaten by lions or leopards, mauled by honey badgers, stepped on by elephants, shredded by hyenas and bitten by nasty snakes. Ok..Ok.. So I watch too much Animal Planet, National Geographic and Top Gear. I don't know anyone there either but I hope and pray everyone is ok. They have tsunami warnings for the whole U.S. west coast including southern Alaska Yah.. So if I suddenly disappear for an extended period of time - that may be what happened to me... I'm only about 19 miles from the beach as the proverbial crow flies. Edited March 11, 2011 by wolfie2kX Link to comment
gogoblender 3,068 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 14 foot tsunami I've never seen one actually moving across land like this before Very unnerving gogo Link to comment
Stormwing 40 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Gogo: Indeed. And just saw a pictures, should be in a video on Youtube too, how someone has predicted this couple of days ago. Seeing there is heaps of tectonic activity... Could be the Earth's big unrest period now... Link to comment
gogoblender 3,068 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Could be the Earth's big unrest period now... Waves of tectonic activity...period of unrest? Someone has made conjecture about periods of earthquakes akin to ice ages or something? gogo Link to comment
masteff 64 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 She is currently in an exchange program in Japan. She's not in School Year Abroad in Nagoya, is she? That's where my nephew is. I saw about the quake at 2am and took a bit to not panic and call and wake my brother up. An hour ago my brother posted an email from the school's principal that it was only a mild quake in Nagoya area and no damage at the school. Link to comment
masteff 64 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I actually don't think I remember one reported larger than this one before personally. You made me look... this will likely rank as 5th largest since 1900. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/10_largest_world.php Link to comment
chattius 2,520 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 My niece is on this northern island: Hokkaido, near Sapporo. She studies at Munich which is a partnertown of Sapporo since 1972 olympics: summer olympics in Munich, winter olympics in Sapporo. I think she is at a german speaking family more countryside and on mountains, but have to ask. Link to comment
Schot 407 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Wow... I'm having a hard time believing this has happened. Watching the BBC live coverage online. Deepest sympathy to all suffering this. I really hope my friend's family in Japan is ok. http://www.bbc.co.uk/japanquake Link to comment
gogoblender 3,068 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 All the net news channels are busy with this now. Numbers are coming in everywhere, it's Japan's biggest Earthquake. I just saw that video of the buildings swaying downtown. I remember only once ever in my life I think we had an earthquake here in Montreal...and when it happened I remember just pausing. Pausing to think about what was happening... rechecking my vision, moving my head around to catch noises check distancing...nothing made any sense...it was like my brain was firing through options trying to come up with an answer, when seemingly so long later... earthquake enters mind. gogo p.s. Brad, the BBC news channel is excellent. Do they always broadcast free like that? Link to comment
Delta! 985 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 [quote name='wolfie2kX' timestamp='1299851067' post='6922688' And let's not forget being eaten by lions or leopards, mauled by honey badgers, stepped on by elephants, shredded by hyenas and bitten by nasty snakes. Ok..Ok.. So I watch too much Animal Planet, National Geographic and Top Gear. HAHA! no no, we don't have lions, leopards, honey badgers, elephants or any other wild life roaming the streets in South Africa. Not even domesticated animals (well, Maybe some cattle and goats in the very rural areas) but the cities have CRIMINALS, not ANIMALS. Animals like the big five, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino, and Elephant is not something that just any farm or lodge may contain, licenses and proper fences and warnings are necessary! Link to comment
wolfie2kX 528 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 HAHA! no no, we don't have lions, leopards, honey badgers, elephants or any other wild life roaming the streets in South Africa. Not even domesticated animals (well, Maybe some cattle and goats in the very rural areas) but the cities have CRIMINALS, not ANIMALS. Animals like the big five, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino, and Elephant is not something that just any farm or lodge may contain, licenses and proper fences and warnings are necessary! Yah.. But all of South Africa is not Pratoria or Johannesburg... There's plenty of wild spaces still at last count - and not all of those critters live on farms. So it's entirely possible to go outside of the big city and meet your own personal doom should you come across an ornery critter. Link to comment
Dragon Brother 619 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I heard this last night and was simply gobsmacked. Seems like these last few months have been crazy in the world when it comes to disasters. My thoughts go out to all those effected and those still under tsunami watch. Link to comment
gogoblender 3,068 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 The advancing wall...I just can't get over that. When you realize that's a wall of water rushing forward at I don't know many miles per hour (fast!) and it's just picking up houses, cars anything as it rushes along. Stuff like this is humbling, gives me some perspective and a feeling of deep gratefulness for our day, our safety. gogo Link to comment
claudius 104 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Just last week I made a comment about a japanese steak house how I had admired the times there. That is probably one of my few connection to japan. I hope the people there can be strong and all the efforts of the world. Link to comment
Aegis 256 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I've actually read it as 8.9 instead of 8.8. My gosh, that is such a massive quake. Largest in Japan, fifth largest recorded, 7 metre tall tsunamis and hours of tremors following its wake, plus the fact the quake also affected other countries as well. I really do hope Japan recovers and recovers well. Link to comment
chattius 2,520 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 While sitting at breakfeast table the whole family discussion is: Will there be a Super-GAU. GAU is german for Grösster Anzunehmender Unfall = greatest accident which was put into consideration at construction, A Super-GAU is something which wasn't considered to happen and can lead to a core meltdown at nuclear powerplants. Some radio channels already speak of a core meltdown in one of the nuclear power plants at the coast which were hit by the tsunamis. Our oldest still remembers the kids from Tschernobyl who were invited by state government for several years of summerbreaks at nearby camping places. I can only hope that it is not happening again: radioactive pollution even affecting the unborn generation. Link to comment
Dragon Brother 619 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 While sitting at breakfeast table the whole family discussion is: Will there be a Super-GAU. GAU is german for Grösster Anzunehmender Unfall = greatest accident which was put into consideration at construction, A Super-GAU is something which wasn't considered to happen and can lead to a core meltdown at nuclear powerplants. Some radio channels already speak of a core meltdown in one of the nuclear power plants at the coast which were hit by the tsunamis. Our oldest still remembers the kids from Tschernobyl who were invited by state government for several years of summerbreaks at nearby camping places. I can only hope that it is not happening again: radioactive pollution even affecting the unborn generation. I heard earlier today that they have evacuated to an 8mile radius from the powerplants. There were a few other things that I didnt quite pick up, but they are obviously being very cautious with the nuclear power plants. Link to comment
czevak 57 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 (edited) Well as it would seem from the video feeds, the GAU has already happened. The security envelope around the critical reactor core ripped or melted and the surrounding concrete building no longer withstood the pressure of the boiling cooling system. The block fukishima 1 exploded. The energy supplier states ofc. that the explosion was another building going to hell, but it is pretty obvious that was not the case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls5aDWxv3zQ Edited March 12, 2011 by czevak Link to comment
kriv 14 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I am stunned by the pictures and video because I cannot get my mind around the force of the water. I have no frame of reference to something that strong. It destroys everything in it's path and just keeps going and going. It is a devastating loss and I am praying for everone involved. What an ass kick, huge eathquake then a brutal tsunami. Link to comment
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