March 11, 2011
By MARTIN FACKLER and KEVIN DREW
TOKYO — A huge earthquake struck Japan on Friday, churning up a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland along the northern part of the country and threatened coastal areas throughout the Pacific.
Walls of water whisked away houses and cars in northern Japan, where terrified residents fled the coast. Trains were shut down across central and northern Japan, including Tokyo, and air travel was severely disrupted. A ship carrying more than 100 people was swept away by the tsunami, tKyodo News reported. A fire broke out at the nuclear plant in Onagawa, but Japanese officials said it was extinguished.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the disaster caused major damage across wide areas. Several hours after the quake, Kyodo News was reporting 48 deaths, but with rescue efforts just getting under way, the extent of injuries and damage is not yet known.
The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.9, and occurred at about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo and at a revised depth of about 17 miles. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said the quake had a magnitude of 8.8, which would make it among the biggest in a century.
The quake occurred at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time and hit off Honshu, Japan’s most populous island. The quake was so powerful that buildings in central Tokyo, designed to withstand major earthquakes, swayed.
“This tremor was unlike any I’ve experienced previously, and I’ve lived here for eight years. It was a sustained rolling that made it impossible to stand, almost like vertigo,” said Matt Alt, an American writer and translator living in Tokyo.
Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, told CNN that residents in Hawaii and the West Coast should prepare for coastal flooding. He said that there was a “full coastal evacuation” underway in Hawaii.
Gauges at Midway Island in the Pacific were registering a wave amplitude of about five feet, he said, but that might increase by the time the waves reached Hawaii. Even a five-foot wave can be devastating, he said, because of the nature of tsunami waves.
“There’s a tremendous amount of water” in them, he said. Mr. Fryer said that concerns that the waves might wash over entire low-lying islands in the Pacific were unfounded. “Washing over islands is not going to happen,” he told CNN.
Television images showed waves of more than 12 feet roaring inland in Japan. The tsunami drew a line of white fury across the ocean, heading toward the shoreline. Cars and trucks were still moving on highways as the water rushed toward them.
The floodwaters, thick with floating debris shoved inland, pushed aside heavy trucks as if they were toys, in some places carrying blazing buildings toward factories, fields, highways, bridges and homes. The spectacle was all the more remarkable for being carried live on television, even as the waves engulfed flat farmland that offered no resistance.
The force of the waves washed away cars on coastal roads and crashed into buildings along the shore. Television footage showed a tsunami wave bearing down on the Japanese coastline near the community of Sendai.
NHK television transmitted aerial images of columns of flame rising from an oil refinery and flood waters engulfing Sendai airport, where survivors clustered on the roof of the airport building. The runway was partially submerged. The refinery fire sent a plume of thick black smoke from blazing spherical storage tanks. A television commentator called the blaze an “inferno.”
The images showed survivors in a home surrounded by water, waving white sheets from the upper floors of buildings. News reports said the earthquake had forced the Tokyo subways to empty while airports were closed and many residents took to the streets, desperately trying to leave the city.
Initial television coverage from coastal areas showed very few people actually in the water. The initial impact of the wave seemed to have been enormous, tipping two huge cargo vessels on their sides at one port and tearing others from their moorings.
Smaller vessels, including what looked like commercial fishing trawlers, were carried inland, smashing into the superstructure of bridges as the waters surged. A senior Japanese official said foreign countries had offered to help and Japan was prepared to seek overseas assistance.
Japanese television showed major tsunami damage in northern Japan. Public broadcaster NHK reported that a large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture. Video footage also showed buildings on fire in the Odaiba district of Tokyo, The Associated Press reported.
“It just seemed to go on and on,” Katherine Wallace told the BBC, who was in an office building in Tokyo, said of the quake tremor.
A second major earthquake of 7.4 magnitude was reported as aftershocks shook the region. Japanese media reported mobile phone networks were not working.
Power blackouts were affecting about 2 million residents around Tokyo alone, the government said. Cell phone service was severely affected across central and northern Japan as residents rushed to call friends and relatives as aftershocks struck.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center extended a tsunami warning across most of the Pacific Ocean, and said the tsunami would threaten coastal areas of Russia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea and Australia later in the day. The agency, based in Hawaii, added the west coasts of the United States, Mexico, Central America and South America to the list of regions that were given tsunami alerts.
The tsunami warning was later expanded to include much of Alaska, all of the California coast north from Santa Barbara, and Oregon. The rest of Southern California, Washington and British Columbia were under an advisory, the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said. A warning means that people in low-lying areas should evacuate due to the threat of flooding; an advisory cautions that the tsunami could cause dangerous currents and waves but that major flooding is not expected. The center said that initial tsunami waves could hit Homer, Alaska, about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, shortly after 4 a.m. local time GMT, and that waves could hit California and Oregon about an hour later, or about 7 a.m. local time.
In Honolulu, a tsunami watch was upgraded to a tsunami warning at about 9:30 pm local time, with the wave, if it materialized, forecast to arrive in the Hawaiian islands at 2:59 a.m. The tsunami warning sirens were briefly sounded. In the Waikiki district, lines formed at gas stations.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said that the tsunami had reached the Russian-controlled Kurile Islands north of Hokkaido, Japan at about 6 p.m. local time. “The tsunami has reached three population centers in the Kurile Island chain. The average height of the wave has been recorded at less than one meter. There have been no casualties or damage,” the ministry said in a statement. In response to the tsunami threat, about 11,000 people have been evacuated from four population centers in the Kuriles, the ministry said.
The quake occurred in what is called a subduction zone, where one of the Earth’s tectonic plates is sliding beneath another. In this case, the Pacific plate is sliding beneath the North American at a rate of about 3 inches a year. The earthquake occurred at a depth of about 15 miles, which while relatively shallow by global standards is about normal for quakes in this zone, said Emily So, an engineer with the United States Geological Survey in Golden, Colo.
Ms. So said that according to her agency’s calculations, the quake was of magnitude 8.9. It had been preceded by what seismologists call foreshocks — smaller quakes in the same area. The largest of these was a magnitude 7.2 quake two days before, centered about 25 miles south of the spot where the earthquake struck Friday.
In a subduction quake that occurs underwater, as this one did, the sudden movement of a portion of one of the plates can displace enormous amounts of water, triggering a tsunami. As the tsunami waves approach shallow coastal areas, they tend to increase in height.
The devastation often comes from a succession of waves, with the first few being relatively small. The waves can propagate across oceans at speeds of 500 miles an hour or greater. With Friday’s quake occurring only about 80 miles offshore, people in the closest coastal areas would not have had much time to evacuate.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, was briefed on the disaster during a trip to Brussels. Geoffrey Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said there were no reports of damage to American military facilities or naval vessels.
At the headquarters of the Navy’s Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, sailors were preparing for a potential tsunami. “We’ve issued instructions to our pierside ships in Yokosuka to stand by their lines to be prepared to quickly adjust them as necessary to prevent damage during any resulting tsunami,” said Cmdr. Jeff Davis, the Seventh Fleet spokesman.
It was unclear on Friday morning to what extent the American military in the Pacific was preparing to help with disaster response.
The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong and the Straits Times in Singapore slumped after news of the quake, ending about 1.6 percent and 1 percent down, respectively.
Martin Fackler reported from Tokyo, and Kevin Drew from Hong Kong. Daniel Krieger contributed from Osaka, Japan, Bettina Wassener from Hong Kong, Alan Cowell and Richard Berry from Paris, Michael Schwirtz from Moscow, Henry Fountain from New York, Mike Hale from Honolulu, and Elisabeth Bumiller from Brussels.
74 Readers' Comments
74. LesleyMaryland March 11th, 20118:09 am
Here's wishing the people of Japan safety. They are very much in my thoughts.
Just wondering whether there was/could be any warning at all of such disasters.
73. J TraenPortland, OR, March 11th, 20118:09 am
I wonder what President Obama is doing right now? Are the citizens of Hawaii getting to higher ground? We have yet to see how the rest of the Pacific will be affected. How will the first world aid the recovery of the Pacific Islands?
72. HIGHLIGHT (what's this?) Irie Otoko, Minami Nagasaki, Tokyo, March 11th, 20118:08 am
The gym wasn't so crowded in Higashi Nakano when the quake struck. Most people, being used to earthquakes, kept working out except the building kept shaking. Staff were quick to assemble us to a safe space and many people stood around watching the TV. The tension was obvious in the reporter's voice and people instantly grabbed their cellphones. Outside was slightly overcast and while some people returned to the machines staff advised us to leave. As folks got dressed, staff handed out towels and bowed us goodbye. The afternoon was still and balmy; no sirens or panicking yet clusters of people came out into the street to gather around TVs in used shops. Many mom and pops stores were unattended. At a nearby bus depot drivers stood in a drill and many office workers mulled about talking, consoling, supporting each other. What's amazing is that everyone I saw: cops on their white bicycles; boys reading comics in alleys; kids walking home with their parents,etc. appeared graceful under this unexpected disaster. Eerie however were the usually crowded speeding trains now desolate on their tracks. Facebook has lots of updates and it is good to know that most people, so far, are safe and sound. I haven't made my emergency bag but am now compelled to do so.
71. Connie B. New York, NY; March 11th, 20118:08 am
Referencing #1 Patrice Aymes: You are right to fault the Tea Party folks for discounting the role of government in establishing building codes, building and maintaining our public infrastructure. Discounting our public responsibility in maintaining infrastructure dates back to Ronald Reagan, however. It didn't start with alleged groups of women having tea.
As a matter of fact, you may not be aware that the original Tea Party was all about strong-armed males tossing loads of tea into the Boston harbor in defiance of the British. Today's Tea Party is a mix of male billionaires and white guys driving pick-ups.
70. Prashant Solomon, New Delhi, India, March 11th, 20118:07 am
This is shocking and terrifying! My heart goes out to the Japanese people at this time. I also pray that those in over 20 other Pacific Rim nations are safe when the tsunami undoubtedly strikes. It is a real eye opener that we are like gnats compared to the awesome power of nature. It really makes you wonder how foolish we are to fight with each other over mundane things when we as a species are always at Mother Nature's mercy.
69. Mike Hipp, Atlanta, 30092, March 11th, 20118:04 am
The video coming out of Japan is just amazing. Secular best wishes and thoughts go out to all the victims from all the nations that will be affected.
68. markpuertolas, London, March 11th, 20118:04 am
This is just the begining!
67. CaliCalifornia, March 11th, 20118:04 am
In Indonesia 220,000 died when the 2004 tsunami hit.
In Japan just five have died so far.
An amazing difference.
66. PMG Pillai 19235, Mannar Allpuzha Kerala, India, March 11th, 20118:03 am
ear on line editor, Japan may have uptodate earth quack constrictions but then the forecast of the force of quack on richser scale can not be forecast but I think that with modern science a special study on the sea bottom must be conducted.Bottom soils structure can give some clue to this.Strtrength and force of earthe quack will decide the tusanami force and locatonetc A team os scietist with intelligence, innovation, sharp andpenetrating inteligence with fiocussing pinpit directions may be able to arrive at poosible reasons of quack andonce the foirce of quack isknown then strength oftsunami can be measuree but ateammust be ble toforecast well inadavance, detct the location etc must be there buttravelling t the bottom of the sea floor with divig suit and workibg there may be difficut but this can be overcome by research dated Friday March11th2011 Tme 1510Hrs iusr PM
65. Shel SteinS. Florida, March 11th, 20118:03 am
We need to pray,pray, pray....
For the victims
For our planet
For world peace
For the safety of our world and it's people
My G-d protect us all
2012 will soon be upon us
Hopefully this may be an unrelated event, and not the beginning
64. Marylintoyko, JP, March 11th, 20118:03 am
I was alone in my apartment in Tokyo during the whole thing. Scariest experience of my life. It felt like it went on forever! things fell over drawers, and the whole apartment and its walls shook like nothing I have seen before. Still shaking. My thoughts to the people up north in Miyagi prefecture and Sendai...
63. Mr JPNYC, March 11th, 20118:02 am
Just saw the news, our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters across the Pacific.
62. Shaun Joel Ketch, Tokyo, Tokyo, March 11th, 20117:56 am
I snapped this picture from my Tokyo office window moments after the first megaquake:
http://i.imgur.com/vOJbL.jpg
61. German bloke, Tokyo, March 11th, 20117:55 am
These rate easily among the scariest moments in my life. Hard to stay on your feet, yet the building I was in did not take the slightest damage, not even giving threatening sounds, except for moving shelves and falling things. Incredible what these buildings can withstand.
60. Paul Brinkman, New Zealand, March 11th, 20114:30 am
Really sad to see such devastation visited on Japan. Last month Japan kindly sent search and rescue teams to help New Zealand recover from the Christchurch quake. This was even before anyone knew 25 Japanese students had lost their lives in the Christchurch quake. Well if karma is real, then hopefully not many lives will be lost in this Japanese quake. Hopefully NZ can send our (tired) search and rescue teams to show that we care about them too.
59. Andrew, Tokyo, March 11th, 20114:30 am
I was on the 9th (top) floor of recently built, thin (30' square) and very flexible apartment building in Sumida, Tokyo. Living here has been a little unsettling as even small vibrations -- a large truck passing by, for example -- tend to set the structure quivering. Now I appreciate its amazing engineering. It flexed and bounced like an airliner in turbulence.
The shaking went on for so long that I had ample time to get up, put my shoes on and go out onto the emergency stairs. The neighborhood -- largely 3-15 story buildings -- looked like a set of children's blocks teetering on a shaken table. It looked more dreamlike than scary. Each building is topped with a lightning rod; they became metronomes swaying in competing directions. Old women moved to the middle of the street and stood motionless, looking at each other. After what must have been 2 or 3 minutes, the neighborhood public address system came online with a cheerful, slightly inappropriate recorded message: "This is Sumida City. Just now, a large earthquake happened. Please be careful."
It was only when I turned on the television and saw live footage of a tsunami closing in on cars driving down the road that I understood the severity of what happened.
Three hours later, things continue to rock every few minutes.
58. adamas, JPN, March 11th, 20114:22 am
Be careful and stay calm! People who live near coast around the world.
In Japan, earthquake has been hit almost every 10min. since around 14:46 with a magnitude of 3 to 6. Now at 18, it's sitll going on, mainly at the region of north east Japan. I just worry about the nuclear power station in Fukushima prefecture. Tsunami seems to be unstopable. Take care!
57. Babs, Hawaii, March 11th, 20114:16 am
Here in Hawaii we have had tsunami warnings and sirens blowing. There are long lines at the gas stations and bottled water has flown out of the stores. We are tentatively expecting water rise over six feet around all islands and people are being evacuated out of potential flood zones. The phones are jammed and people are being asked to stay off the phone and leave the streets clear for emergency traffic as we prepare. Imagine the concerns of the hotels in Waikiki - fortunately there are long standing plans and procedures and drill exercises have been done.
56. Student in Japan, Tokyo, JAPAN, March 11th, 20114:16 am
I was in school when the earthquake hit. The quake felt like it lasted for at least five minutes. As we were evacuating, I saw that almost all of the books in our library had fallen out of the shelves. Even the minimal damage was just surreal. We were evacuated onto our football field and spent nearly two hours waiting for highways to open and other services to come back. As of now, there is still no landline, cell-phone service and many areas do not have power. My thoughts go out to those who have been impacted severely by the quake in other parts of Japan and to those who are in tsunami zones. Please take care and stay safe.
55. S. J. Japan, March 11th, 20114:15 am
Watching the live footage on NHK, people fleeing in cars, on foot, panicked and not knowing which way to go was heartbreaking. There must have been massive casualties which will take weeks if not months to sort out.
54. Midori, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, March 11th, 20114:03 am
Here in Tokyo, we are also still getting strong shakes even now (almost 3 hours after first quake) - it is very scary.... There is no gas, elevator is stopped but at least we are still having electricity.
My teenager niece is stuck at her school(miles away from home) because there is no train running - and no one knows when the train will be starting to run at the moment.
We Japanese are trained to prepare for those earthquake from when we are small child, but the truth is, when this size of earthquake happens, it is difficult to act accordingly. As I write this message, it is shaking.... :X
53. Isabelle, Tokyo, Japan, March 11th, 20114:03 am
I am an international student from NYC living in Tokyo. I am very nauseated because the ground keeps on shaking here. We are stranded in center Tokyo because all the trains have stopped working. My university cancelled afternoon classes but many students here can not get home. My cell phone is the only one I know that works, thank you softbank prepaid. Chiba is having big problems with fire because of an oil rig and north of here in Ibaraki there is massive flooding. Sendai's airport has been hit really badly. Narita internaional airport (Japan's biggest airport) has also been hit. There has been no tsunami in Tokyo though.
52. dancebackthesea, Paris, March 11th, 20114:03 am
USGS link to earthquake information and maps, comprehensive geology.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/...
51. Pete Christchurch, NZChristchurch, New Zealand, March 11th, 20114:02 am
Shocking images coming through of the Japan quake and tsunami. Seems all too real after our Christchurch quake just over 2 weeks ago but this is at another level altogether. The Japaneses sent urban S&R to Christchurch and hope NZ can return the favour and any assistance. Tsunami alert even posted for NZ and due to hit in 8hrs time. Shocking.
50. YA, Tokyo, Japan, March 11th, 20113:54 am
I'm not surprised. It finally came and how my house shook here in Kamakura!
I felt like a giant had taken my house lifted it up and whacked it on the ground again!!
55. S. J.Japan, March 11th, 20114:15 am
Watching the live footage on NHK, people fleeing in cars, on foot, panicked and not knowing which way to go was heartbreaking. There must have been massive casualties which will take weeks if not months to sort out.
54. Midori, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, March 11th, 20114:03 am
Here in Tokyo, we are also still getting strong shakes even now (almost 3 hours after first quake) - it is very scary.... There is no gas, elevator is stopped but at least we are still having electricity.
My teenager niece is stuck at her school(miles away from home) because there is no train running - and no one knows when the train will be starting to run at the moment.
We Japanese are trained to prepare for those earthquake from when we are small child, but the truth is, when this size of earthquake happens, it is difficult to act accordingly. As I write this message, it is shaking.... :X
53. Isabelle, Tokyo, Japan, March 11th, 20114:03 am
I am an international student from NYC living in Tokyo. I am very nauseated because the ground keeps on shaking here. We are stranded in center Tokyo because all the trains have stopped working. My university cancelled afternoon classes but many students here can not get home. My cell phone is the only one I know that works, thank you softbank prepaid. Chiba is having big problems with fire because of an oil rig and north of here in Ibaraki there is massive flooding. Sendai's airport has been hit really badly. Narita internaional airport (Japan's biggest airport) has also been hit. There has been no tsunami in Tokyo though.
52. dancebackthesea, Paris, March 11th, 20114:03 am
USGS link to earthquake information and maps, comprehensive geology.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/...
51. Pete Christchurch, NZ, Christchurch, New Zealand, March 11th, 20114:02 am
Shocking images coming through of the Japan quake and tsunami. Seems all too real after our Christchurch quake just over 2 weeks ago but this is at another level altogether. The Japaneses sent urban S&R to Christchurch and hope NZ can return the favour and any assistance. Tsunami alert even posted for NZ and due to hit in 8hrs time. Shocking.
50. YATokyo, Japan, March 11th, 20113:54 am
I'm not surprised. It finally came and how my house shook here in Kamakura!
I felt like a giant had taken my house lifted it up and whacked it on the ground again!!
49. Gonewest, Hamamatsu, Japan, March 11th, 20113:54 am
I somehow didn't feel this at all - was driving at the time here in Shizuoka Prefecture, they are predicting a 3 meter tsunami to be hitting the coastline here shortly - fortunately the tide is very low here at the moment so that provides some margin.
BTW - it's true that the earthquake standards for big/modern buildings are quite strict, but there are plenty of older buildings that would go in the first decent shake, and a lot of them are
loaded with asbestos, which Japan is about 30 or more years behind the US in regulating/abating.
Also, there are any number of plans for disasters here, but the level of individual's preparations are pretty low - almost no one I ask keeps water on hand, for example, which is a simple but critical item. A further problem is that if the disaster doesn't occur according to the plan, the chances of people thinking on their feet and making quick decisions to meet the circumstances tends to be pretty low.
The comments about the US west coast brought to mind the account of local Indians observing the San Francisco earthquake in Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - they take the quake in stride, but are incredulous when, afterwards, people start right back building again - unable to take a (to the Indians) really obvious hint that they should rethink their whole approach..
Best of luck to those in the affected areas..
48. JeffKendo, Kyoto, Japan, March 11th, 20113:53 am
It's very bad now. Major aftershocks. Another one just now at 5.4 off the coast of Chiba prefecture and Fukushima, just north of Tokyo. The news and every channel is on this. Major explosions and damage at refineries and coastal locations.
47. amboycharlie, Nagoya, Japan, March 11th, 20113:53 am
I'm in Nagoya, a few hundred miles away and my building rocked for a good thirty seconds or so. Hard to tell how long it was. I'm guessing the expected Tokaido Quake, no some ten years overdue will be the next to strike. I can only wonder what that will be like. The tidal waves were a real shocker. I hope there was no loss of life, but I cannot imagine there wasn't. It only took a few minutes for the tidal wave to strike.
46. anonymous, pittsburgh, March 11th, 20113:53 am
Google Person Finder available after earthquake in Japan information about loved ones. http://t.co/EBqywWa
45. C. Durietz, Honolulu, HI, March 11th, 20113:52 am
I'm packing. We did this just about a year ago, and that amounting to nothing. Still, always best to be prepared. This time it really looks like something to pack for. Wish us luck, America.
44. Bob Skye, Hoboken, NJ, March 11th, 20113:51 am
@ 3 dogs... Experts say that the equipment nearest the epicenters 'top off' at a certain point (i.e. 7.9)and then are destroyed. When the readings come in from nearest intact equipment, they measure the distance between the two and do some heavy math...
43. LyrindaBerkeley, CA, March 11th, 20113:51 am
Our turn in CA will come. There is small comfort in knowing that we cannot have a quake quite as severe as a subduction quake since we are "only" on a strike/slip fault. I pray for those affected.
42. owenfinn, Yokohama, Japan, March 11th, 20113:50 am
that was absolutely terrifying here in Yokohama. Very, very strong and apparently the epicenter was 200 miles to the north. Lots of aftershocks, during one, I witnessed a 10 story building swaying an unbelievable amount. I could imagine how the people in the high rises must have felt. The TV is full of images of burning industrial areas. Worried about chemicals and the nuclear plants in northern Japan. Have power but the phones don`t work - can`t get through to my wife in Tokyo. The trains aren`t running and traffic is at a standstill.
41. nkPortland, OR, March 11th, 20113:50 am
I have been calling the front desk at the Tokyo Imperial Hotel (Ginza) many times for the past 2 hours and could not get through. One of our co-workers is there at the hotel or at our company office 2 blocks from there. Does anyone know how that area is? Please post any info. Hope everyone is safe there.
40. carryonjeeves, tokyo, March 11th, 20113:50 am
Spending part of my formative years in Alaska, earthquakes ("tremors" we called them) were not uncommon, and met with a kind of cool insouciance.
But an earthquake in Tokyo is an entirely different experience. Then you are surrounded on all sides by multistory office buildings, each swaying to their own rhythm.
It makes you dizzy to look out the window!
39. BillKauai, Hawaii, March 11th, 20113:49 am
We're expecting a tsunami to hit Hawaii starting at 2:59 am HT (7:59 EST) here on Kauai, then moving down our island chain over 30 minutes. More to follow...
38. Mike, Peterborough, NH, March 11th, 20113:49 am
We are 400 miles from Sendai, here in Kobe. the magnitude of this quake is at least that of the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. People are calm here, yet a little anxious. Watching the sea now for tsunami.
37. KC, TOKYO, March 11th, 20113:49 am
I live in Tokyo.
Epicenter:Sanriku coast(38.0° north and 142.9° east)
magnitude:8.4
depth: About 20km
It was a very big roll.
Rumbling of the earth was ahead of the severe earthquake.
It became yucky like seasickness because of a big roll.
The aftershock continues still.
The damage of the tsunami has occurred here and there, too.
The train stops, and Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway has been closed.
The train stops and, therefore, a lot of taxis are not caught by people who cannot come home either.People who try to return to home walking to the inside seem also to have come out.
I have come to be able to see the state of damage here and there in the image though I am looking at news turning on the television.
A big roll seems also to have the thing that the shake rather grows in the skyscraper.
36. Don Hutton, Toronto, Canada, March 11th, 20113:30 am
Many Japanese Science Fiction shows are set in some place inevitably named "Neo-Tokyo" as, historically speaking, Tokyo is destroyed about once every generation. Something like this makes it easy to see why. For example, last time I checked about 20% of Tokyo is below sea-level: separated from the Pacific by a mile or so of intervening higher ground which would easily be breached by something like this. Note also that the Tokyo Fire Department doesn't promise to get to you in under half-an-hour; a consequence of Tokyo's fractal street layout and traffic congestion. Fire drills are therefore taken *very* seriously there.
Whatever happens, the Japanese people will just get right back up and start over again. They're a great people.
Recommend Recommended by 15 Readers .
35.AshleighNew ZealandMarch 11th, 20113:28 am
The people of Japan have been so generous to my people since our earthquake last month, it is devastatingly unfair that they have been dealt the same blow.
Kia kaha (stay strong) Japan, our thought are with you.
Recommend Recommended by 45 Readers .
34.Taro HBC, CanadaMarch 11th, 20113:26 am
At this time(5:25pm JP time), according to BBC and NTimes, currently all the super trains in northern Japan have been disabled, as well as Narita International Airport and Sendai Airport. Sendai Airport, which is only 30+ km away from Sendai, a city of 10,000,000, is actually suffering from the tsunami at the time. The video of tsunami washing away cars and ships that was posted on BBC takes place in Kesennuma, a middle-sized city of fishermen. The video of tsunami sweeping away greenhouses takes place in Sendai city, about 40~50 km away from downtown, Sendai. There has been a serious fire on a gas refinary in Chiba prefecture, the region right beside Tokyo and where Narita AP is in. There are 5 nuclear plants in northern Japan, which are obviously closed; however there has been a case in Niigata pref. where, after a Mag.8 level earthquake, leaking of nuclear material was confirmed.
Recommend Recommended by 15 Readers .
33.Donald Rogerson Bowling Green, OHMarch 11th, 20113:25 am
I am only on 14F of a 17F building in Iidabashi. It is a fairly old building, but it swayed gracefully absorbing the tremors, although long enough to induce a certain queasy feeling - walking along the corridor was a bit like being on a boat. The main problem has been bookcases toppling, spilling their contents, and light fixtures coming adrift from ceilings. The maintainance team is already at work refixing the lights, even as the building continues to sway intermittantly. For most of the Japanese colleagues, this is about as severe and prolonged as they have ever experienced, but there is a calm, good-humour.
Recommend Recommended by 30 Readers .
32.NorgeironHonoluluMarch 11th, 20113:25 am
The Civil Defense sirens just went off here on Oahu. The tsunami waves are expected between two and three o'clock this morning, as we are three thousand miles away from Japan.
31.Julie McNamaraMcLean, VAMarch 11th, 20113:25 am
Video of the tsunami damage in the nearest coastal areas is sobering. This is an example of what to expect during the inevitable Cascadia subduction zone earthquake (offshore Oregon, Washington).
30. 3 DogsHiroshima, JapanMarch 11th, 20113:24 amWhat I don't understand is how the US can call it a 8.9 but here in Japan, where it occurred it still being classified as a 7.9... I think that if it had been 8.9 there would have been a lot more damage and loss of life than we are seeing.
29. eldiePennsylvaniaMarch 11th, 20113:16 am
3:00a.m: Talked to daughter via Skype. Works in Tokyo on the 26th floor of the Atago Hills Mori building. They rode out the Tokyo-epicentered second quake (CNN?) under desks and left the building when the shaking stopped. Her apartment in Higashi Azabu, Minato-ku, is walking distance from her job and she is there now with a friend; no damage to apartment, just books thrown to floor from bookcase. While we were talking, the aftershocks seemed to be coming at 3 minute intervals. I couldn't see the tremors and only knew they were happening because of the narration "another one" and the fact that they both took another sip of white wine. Video Skype is great, but I'm not sure that, to a mother so many miles away, it hasn't become TMI.
28. patsyann0cookeville, TNMarch 11th, 20113:13 am
Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel survived the 1923 violent quake. It was dismantled in 1965 and replaced by a highrise Imperial Hotel. I wonder if the newer Imperial survived in tact.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers .27.billyHawaiiMarch 11th, 20113:13 amugggg - sirens were just tested here.
26.NY PochoCNYMarch 11th, 20113:13 am
I find it odd that people constantly ascribe supernatural designs to natural phenomena. I still remember when Mount St. Helens blew up -- the windows rattled in our apartment in Green Lakes and my son woke up. We live on an insignificant planet circling a small star in a remote region of our galaxy. Our universe is one of many multiverses --- there are no end times -- it is just the natural movement of the plates. And when you live in and among these fault lines -- well the earth naturally adjusts....it is not magic!
Recommend Recommended by 68 Readers .
25.Teaching in WeihaiCHINAMarch 11th, 20113:11 am
I have been in Tokyo during an earthquake.....the chandeliers in the building were shaking...remarkable how the Japanese can design buildings to withstand them
Recommend Recommended by 19 Readers .
24.Mark SeiboldPortland OregonMarch 11th, 20113:11 am
I hope and pray that the damage reports are not as bad as could be imagined. Japan has made great efforts to restructure for earthquakes better than the Western US. As a local Portland Oregonian my entire life, I just read in the NY Times about a year ago that after Japan, Oregon was the one state in the US that has begun a better restructuring program for earthquakes more than any other American state and we started with all the school houses in the state. Our local PBS radio just broadcasted a warning for a potential Tsunami to arrive resulting from the Japan quake at the Oregon and Washington state coasts by 7:30 AM Friday morning.
Recommend Recommended by 17 Readers .23.whoopsterBern, Swiss-o-landMarch 11th, 20113:10 amDoes anyone else think that it's time to investigate exactly what HAARP is doing?
22.tokyo billtokyoMarch 11th, 20113:10 am
I was swimming my afternoon laps in the pool on the ground floor of the Izumi Garden Tower (same building as the poster above). My fellow swimmers and I were sloshed around like rubber duckies in a bathtub. Have now seen footage of the tsunami coming ashore near Sendai. Incredible. My thoughts are with all affected people. Echoing sentiment: stay safe.
21.josephso-calMarch 11th, 20113:09 am
Thank goodness for Japanese engineering. It sounds like it has literally saved lives today. Best wishes from across the Pacific.
20.ronettehulseBuena Park, CAMarch 11th, 20113:09 am
God Bless Japan.
Just heard the news and Pray for Federal Emergency Medical Assistance/Rescue to the country and the people.
19.BaibaMililani HIMarch 11th, 20113:09 am
Tsunami warning just posted for Hawaii.
18.Mysterious StrangerDenver, COMarch 11th, 20113:09 amWhat a shock even in a seismically active country. I offer prayers for your loss, suffering and safety.
17.Eileen Gaffney GreenAmelia Island, FLMarch 11th, 20113:08 am
We can only hope that the strict building codes the Japanese have had for years will lessen the loss of lives and property. The double whammy of tsunamis must feel frightening and overwhelming.
Japan has sent rescue workers and engineers to Christchurch, NZ, to help with the aftermath of the devastating Christchurch earthquake. Hopefully, there will be a similar response from Japan's neighbors and allies. The Japanese have dealt with high magnitude earthquakes before, and they will prevail. In the meantime, our hearts go out to the Japanese people and to others who are living, studying, working and traveling in Japan.
16.LiangSuzhou, ChinaMarch 11th, 20113:08 am
Wish these poor people to make this through
15.American ex-patJapanMarch 11th, 20113:07 am
Yokohama is still shaking an hour later...
14.Emil BlatzBoca Raton, FLMarch 11th, 20113:07 am
Holy schnikes, this doesn't sound so great.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers .13.Nye LavalleOrlandoMarch 11th, 20113:06 amGod bless the Japanese people. This is awful, simply awful! I have never seen anything like this! SIGHHHHHH
12. HIGHLIGHT (what's this?) Shaun Joel Ketch Tokyo, Tokyo March 11th, 20112:55 am
I'm on the 36F of Izumi Garden Tower in Tokyo. Earlier I saw a massive fire from behind Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge. The way this building swayed was surreal. Internet is up, cell lines are down, land lines working, trains and subways are stopped. My office window overlooks the embassy of Sweeden and Spain, and I see scores of diplomats gathered outside. I can only imagine what if felt like for those closer to the epicenter. Everyone stay safe!
11. shelledAsiaMarch 11th, 20112:55 am
What is happening? We are existing between disasters.
Recommend Recommended by 8 Readers .10.MarkBaltimoreMarch 11th, 20112:55 amHere's hoping the precautions the Japanese people have taken over the years will work out. This is a big one.
Recommend Recommended by 24 Readers .9.lisa kayakssacramentoMarch 11th, 20112:55 amI can't imagine the damage and loss. My heart goes out to the Japanese people.
8. Faraway Joe Tokyo March 11th, 20112:55 am
In 20 years this is the biggest I've felt. Thanks to great Japanese engineering damage is far less than it could have been.
7. Lady Gagas Biggest FanMars March 11th, 20112:55 am
Earthquakes are part of the Japanese life so their buildings are not so vulnerable as those in say Los Angeles.
Recommend Recommended by 10 Readers .6.K. T. SmithMarina, CAMarch 11th, 20112:55 amUnbelievable video. What massive devastation is going on right now. Being from California, it makes me really nervous to see such sights.
6. K. T. SmithMarina, CA March 11th, 20112:55 am
Unbelievable video. What massive devastation is going on right now. Being from California, it makes me really nervous to see such sights.
5. Jen W. Chicago March 11th, 20112:55 am
Wow. My heart goes out to all those who are hurt by this. All I can say is that natural disasters seem to be part of the bigger plan. It's hard to argue with the creator that he is wrong.
I too have suffered and lost loved ones. And the only consolation I have found is that those who we've lost are in a better place and those who are still here and struggling will be stronger for it.
Don't ask why me. Prove that you are learning from the horrible lesson cast upon you.
4. J. DanielBrooklyn, NY March 11th, 20112:55 am
God be with them - I pray for all of the poor who were trapped, may we all see stories of survival flood our news and may they all be safe. For those who have passed, may you be in God's arms and at peace.
3. Hope786, Atlanta March 11th, 20112:55 am
Most o the Japanese buildings are built to resist earth quakes. But 8.9 power can break down any building.
Lets pray there is no human loss. Frequent earth quakes are sign of the end of times.
2. KomaGawa Japan March 11th, 20112:55 am
Yes, quite interesting. Here in Saitama, regarded as one of the most stable areas in the country, I actually got up off the floor and stepped into the doorway to watch my book shelves shaking and unimportant matter sprinkle down. There is the sound of ambulances outside as this town is full of old farmers, the men. As for the women it will take more than a 7.9 earthquake to bring them down. ohhh another aftershock. My greatest concern was loss of internet services.
1. Patrice Ayme High Mountains Somewhere March 11th, 20112:55 am
Japan has up to date earthquake resistant buildings. Unlike, say the USA.
Wait until the totally unprepared West Coast of the USA is struck by its own monster quake... Richter 9 quakes have happened there in the last 3 centuries (Seatle).
Meaning, even the San Francisco mayor said that thousands of so called "soft story" houses, in San Francisco alone (10% of the SF Bay Area) could collapse.
Recent quakes in New Zealand have shown clearly that recent quake codes are insufficient. So what does the government waits for ordering the refurbishing of all the buildings? With thousands of unemployed construction workers, should be easy... Ah, but I forgot the tea party, little ladies having a cup of tea, who think life is a party... And the government the enemy.
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