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Tsunamis strike Japan after enormous earthquakes


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Tsunamis strike Japan after enormous earthquakes

 

2011-03-11 13:41:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

 

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- A series of enormous earthquakes struck off the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan on early Friday afternoon, seismologists said, generating large tsunamis that devastated coastlines. warnings for multiple countries.

 

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake at 2.46 p.m. local time (0546 GMT) was centered about 179 kilometers (111 miles) east of Sendai in Japan. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

 

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) immediately issued a tsunami warning, saying a tsunami as high as 10 meters could strike coastlines. Several major aftershocks also struck, although its magnitudes were not immediately clear.

 

Japanese television showed large tsunamis strikes the port of Kamaishi in northeastern Japan, submerging roads and swallowing up scores of cars. NHK showed footage of fires in Tokyo, hundreds of miles from the earthquake epicenter. It said several buildings had collapsed in northeastern Japan and there were reports of casualties.

 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also issued a tsunami warning for Russia, the Marcus Islands and Northern Marianas. Tsunami watches were issued for Guam, Wake island, Taiwan, Yap, Phillippines, Marshall Islands, Belau, Midway Islands, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and the U.S. State of Hawaii.

 

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I was in Sendai/ Miyagi-ken last year, visiting an artist friend. She lives in a small farming village near by the sea which was hit by the Tsunami and is under water now. But she is OK luckily.

 

And I experienced the last big earthquake in Tokyo 2-3 years ago. Of course it was much less big (6.5 compared to 8.9 today), but still it was very frightening. I sat in the lobby of an Museum, which is housed in an skyscraper and the whole building started to shake heavily. Immediately everything stopped in Tokyo: trains, elevelators, subways e.g. and there was no damage at all at that time.

 

Luckily Japan has probably the most earthquake proof buildings and infrastructure and the best Tsunami warning system established since decades.

 

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My brother in law with co workers are currently in Toyoko.

He called my wife here in the states and was giving her phone numbers to call different family members for his co workers.

 

They are all ok. worried much.

So my wife was calling LOS for 2 hours telling co workers family that they are ok.

 

Was watching the news and it is real sad for the people

 

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8.9 is a huge quake. Not sure how much bigger you expect 'the big one" to be.

 

Tsunamis here in California. Some boat damage in Santa Cruz.

 

It was the biggest earthquake in Japan ever and it had been expected. Theoretically Japan is hit by a major earthquake every 70 years - the last one had been the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.

 

I have experienced several earthquakes during my stays in Tokyo, but of course non of the magnitude of this one. But I remember the situation, feeling absolutely helpless without any idea what will happen in the next seconds...

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