(not intro post) URGENT RE: EARTHQUAKE JAPAN

weaklink109
weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
edited September 24 in Introduce Yourself
In case anyone is on here who hasn't seen the news reports, about 2.5 hours ago 2:46pm Friday Japanese time zone, 9:46pm Thursday Pacific Standard Time, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Japan (about 240 miles from Tokyo). The live news pics are horrific...live footage of the water flowing inland, inundating everything in its path. There have been at least 6 significant aftershocks. Tsunami height for what already hit Japan estimated to be 4 meters.

I am posting this because a Tsunami has already devastated portions of the Japanese coast. There are Tsunami alerts spreading. I can't post all the details, but what started as "advisory" is now being reported as a "warning" for the Hawaiian Islands. As I write this, a resident of Hawaii is describing the preparations he and his family are making to seek higher ground.

There is now a watch for Pacific Coast areas, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia (Canada), and the Aleutian Islands. I am posting this because in addition to those areas, according to the New Zealand Herald, the warning extends to Australia and New Zealand. Now the news is reporting South American coasts could be affected as well.

If you are anywhere where you may be endangered, or you know people who are, I encourage you to seek information applicable to your situation, and advise anyone who needs to be warned.

It is quite possible that many of the areas placed on alert will have no significant impact, but MFP has members all over the world, and I am posting in hopes that everyone remains safe.

Based upon the live news from NHK, the public broadcasting service in Japan, the people of Japan, and anywhere else affected by this disaster can all use your prayers. This is now reported as the 5th largest earthquake since 1900.
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Replies

  • jtsmou
    jtsmou Posts: 503 Member
    Yeah, I have been watching the live feed since it started. I have family where it hit (they were always mean to me because I'm a half breed).

    You can see people in their cars trying to get away in some of the video and just getting plowed by the oncoming wave. The devastation is massive.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I am in Maui on vacation. The sirens just went on at about 10:25PM and in Oahu at 9:25PM. I am outside of the evacuation zone due to the shape of the island and the high area were the condo is located; however we are aware of any changes.

    The Red Cross has an emergency center in an elementary school located just 5 miles of where we reside. The wave is expected to hit the Hawaiian islands between 3 and 3:30 AM but everybody still hopes that it will not reach the islands.

    However, better safe than sorry.
  • Marcellus_08
    Marcellus_08 Posts: 253
    Ugh:( My heart goes out to them. How horrible.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    The situation for the Oregon and California coasts (as far south as Pt. Concepcion) has been upgraded to a "warning" with possible impact due about 7:15 am PST on Friday (ie. later this morning).

    I am watching TV station out of Portland, Oregon. Within the last 10 minutes, there was a phone interview with someone from Oregon who was visiting Kauai. They were sitting in their rental car, stuck in traffic, attempting to follow the evacuation order, along with everyone else.

    I am afraid this is only going to get worse before it gets better. This is going to be a long night in Japan, and a very short morning on the Pacific coast of the US.

    BTW, I am about 100 miles inland from the ocean.
  • mykaar74
    mykaar74 Posts: 253
    THANKS FOR POSTING THIS I AM RIGHT HERE IN JAPAN & YES IT IS DEVASTATING
  • kelika71
    kelika71 Posts: 778 Member
    May God be with them!!
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    mykaar.

    I hope you are safe. I know communication is really messed up in Japan right now. If you need to reach anyone in USA or anywhere else in North America to let them know your situation, send me a PM with appropriate info and I will pass along anything I can.

    That goes for anyone else who is reading. I will be monitoring this website until I post otherwise on this thread.

    BTW, just heard on TV that someone tweeted that Hawaii just had an earthquake...going to check for info online.
  • pink_and_shiny
    pink_and_shiny Posts: 1,036 Member
    The situation in Japan is heart wrenching and I am in shock as to the video footage that is coming out of the tsunami area. It didn't even look real - I had the hardest time comprehending that this was actually happening and wasn't a Hollywood-made special effect.

    My thoughts go out to everyone in Japan; I hope that in this very difficult time you find some comfort in knowing that the entire world is thinking about you right now.

    I live in Southern California, so we do have the tsunami watch right now, a predicted .5 meter high wave to come in. Experts say that it'll most likely be more of a strange wave pattern than an actual wave. We'll see.

    Oh gosh just heard on the news that Hawaii is experiencing waves of earthquakes now. Nerves are frazzled.



    Everyone, please be safe out there.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Two earthquakes in Hawaii in last 15 minutes, largest so far a 4.5, no idea of any damage, but the USGS map showed epicenter to be offshore, so the biggest problem right now for that area is still Tsunami.
  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
    my thoughts go out to those affected. please keep safe
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Just saw this on Twitter. Google has a peoplefinder service for those in Japan.

    Here is a link to the page: http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/

    The page allows you to post information about someone or ask for information.

    Also found a live video stream, apparently from a Japanese station. Live video, but I don't speak Japanese


    http://www.ustream.tv/channel/jboyjapan#utm_campaign=unknown&utm_source=3886673&utm_medium=social

    EDITED to add that as of about 1:55a PST. the above channel has gone off the air. Not sure if that was on purpose or due to some issue.
  • Ms_Natalie
    Ms_Natalie Posts: 1,030 Member
    Thank you for this post.

    Stay safe everyone with thoughts coming to you from the UK.

    The power of the earth is overwhelming and amazing to watch...however this quickly changes when people are losing their lives.
  • MeghanAM
    MeghanAM Posts: 222 Member
    Thanks for posting.

    My thoughts and well-wishes are with those in Japan and Hawaii.
  • Amyeeeeeee
    Amyeeeeeee Posts: 93 Member
    May GOD be with everyone who is affected or can possibly be affected! God knows this is terrible news to take in and I hate reading news like this!
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
    bump

    So scary watching the cars drive away with the tsunami right behind them on the BBC News.
    19 people reported dead, 6 confirmed dead.
  • YourFriendBecky
    YourFriendBecky Posts: 229
    I'm 3 miles from the ocean in southern California, not too worried for ourselves at this point but very worried about friends in Japan and Hawaii and other places that are closer. I'm sticking close to CNN tonight, not going to bed at least until I hear about Hawaii.
  • kcleigh02
    kcleigh02 Posts: 36 Member
    Bump


    This is terrible. My thoughts go out to everyone. Be safe.
  • Marcellus_08
    Marcellus_08 Posts: 253
    bump
  • shalynna89
    shalynna89 Posts: 324 Member
    Bump
  • Marcellus_08
    Marcellus_08 Posts: 253
    I think I have pushed refresh on this page a million times. Thanks for the updates.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    ByMay,

    According to what I have seen on Twitter and elsewhere, the tsunami is due to hit Hawaii around 2:30 to 3am, I think that is PST. That makes sense, given that the estimate for the Oregon coast is around 7:15am PST. So you won't have long to wait.

    EDITED to correct above: The time for Hawaii is 3 am HAWAII time, NOT PST, so there is a little more time than we thought. Sorry, about the confusion.

    My mind is still reeling at the concept that I sat in my living room and watched a tsunami, live from Japan, devastate everything in its path.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Anyone monitoring this thread who is in Oregon coast area and considering coming inland. Just saw ODOT spokesman Dave Thompson on CH 8 (KGW) who announced that by aound 3 am PST(about an hour from the time of this post) the HWY 26 tunnel (which has been closed at night due to the work being done on it) will be opened, so if anyone is thinking about coming east on Hwy 26 from the coast, they will not be delayed by that construction.

    BTW, if you are near the beach, tidelands, or low-lying area of Oregon coast, you need to be to higher ground no later than 7 am PST, per local authorities, just announced on KGW
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Anyone who wants a link to a live feed from CNN, which will work on your mobile device as well as your pc, here is a link I pulled from twitter.

    http://www.interwebsource.com/feed.html
  • punkrawkcutie
    punkrawkcutie Posts: 439 Member
    Anyone who wants a link to a live feed from CNN, which will work on your mobile device as well as your pc, here is a link I pulled from twitter.

    http://www.interwebsource.com/feed.html

    Thank you so much... i have been trying to find one!!!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I am in Maui, sirens went off again at 11:23 PM and is now 12:15 AM, so they will go off in few minutes. Didn't hear anything about an earthquake off shore, and we are in our living room watching the news.

    Evacuations are taking effect in Oahu according with the news, and the wave is supposed to hit between 3 and 3:30AM (Friday). Kuai will be the first because the wave is coming from the west.

    Police sirens are going off around the highway in this island and the Civil Air Patrol helicopters are flying around monitoring the area.

    Let's hope that is not as bad as predicted.
  • poorcopies
    poorcopies Posts: 477 Member
    This is just horrible. My thoughts are with everyone in the affected areas, everyone should start thinking about how and if they can contribute to the relief effort.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    poorcopies,

    That is a good point.

    BTW, if you would like to see a live feed of a tv station in Hawaii, here is one for KHNL, the NBC affiliate.

    http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/category.asp?C=176904

    For Oregon coast residents in the vicinity of Seaside. If you are thinking you need gas in your car to leave, start looking for it. KGW just showed a video that someone sent them of a line at a gas station in Seaside, and they said it was taking an hour to get to the pumps.

    Note to self: If I am ever brave enough to visit the coast again, I am never going to go to bed without making sure my car is already filled up. Not making a joke....this is actually a good strategy for everyone. As we know, disasters happen without warning.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    KGW, from Portland is talking to a captain on a fishing boat from Hawaii, who is south of Honolulu harbor, says there are zillions of people who are out in their boats in preparation for what is coming. He says there is actually a "traffic jam" of sorts as people try to get out of the harbors and into open water.

    In case anyone is not a boater, these people are trying to protect themselves and their boats by being in open water, which will minimize the effect that the wave has on them.
  • Marcellus_08
    Marcellus_08 Posts: 253
    It's so sad to see the feed of the people in the windows waving at planes. My heart is breaking so much for them.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Regarding gas purchasing, in Astoria,Oregon a KGW reporter indicates any open gas station has a line.

    For those of you not familiar w/Oregon, Astoria is located on the coast where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific.
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