Japense Earthquake/Tsunami

[PhilDernerJr]

An 8.9 earthquake 231 mile away from Tokyo rocked the place. 8.9 is serious, worse than Haiti (although a better-prepared nation for it).

The videos I'm seeing on TV are horrible. Towns being washed away, buildings that are on fire while also floating in the tsunami. Right now I'm watching it spread still....floating fires as untouched houses just start to move as the flow hits it, like it wasn't even attached to the ground. One city that was swept away was 60 miles inland!

Right now I'm waiting for the wave that's supposed to hit Hawaii at around 8am EST, and see if California.

I've thankfully just learned that my friends in Japan are ok.

My prayers to the Japanese people.

[Derf]

watching the airport under water is unreal! They had video of the wave washing down the runway ans pas the gates. Very sad to see such devastation. My prayers are too with the Japanese people.

[Zee71]

I'm watching as well.......the devastation is unbelievable. My prayers go out to the people of Japan.

[steve1840]

I have been watching news clips on my computer at work this morning morethan I have been doing my actual work. What I am watching is just unbelievable. I have never seen such devastation in my life. My thoughts too go out to all those unfortunate souls.

[sporky]

Been keeping up with the status of Narita/Haneda myself as I found out at around midnight a friend of mine was diverted to Yokota AFB on DL 295. Guess it took them 5 hours to get deplaned and were put up in a gym of some sort on the base last night. He wasn't there for the quake and will probably be coming right home since Tokyo is shut down at this time and his business trip takes a back seat to this. Funnny thing with friends on Facebook is they can't believe that DL would keep him on the plane for 5 hours and I am sitting here chuckling at their comments. I don't see how Yokota AFB would have a customs post to clear them from the plane nor the ability to handle the numerous flights that diverted there. Latest report was that Narita/Haneda might be reopening at 6am local.

Also saw that visitors to Disneyland Japan were stuck in the park. Up to 69,000 people were preparing for a couple days in the park since the parking lot had been flooded and the tram out of the park was seriously damaged. Amazing.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those people over there for sure!

-Tad

[hiss srq]

This is probably going to turn out to be one of if not the worst disasters for man kind in our generations...... Most of a nearly first world nation is destroyed.

[megatop412]

Uh-oh, I can't access video from work but based on the comments above I'm not sure I want to see it. The pictures are bad enough.

What a terrible tragedy. I hope the get the help they need to get through this.

[RomNYC]

And of course, not a word of it on CBS2News or other major channels... Charlie Sheen is way more important :rolleyes:

I'm always appalled by the way the US brings news of the world to its citizens... Thankfully, there's CNN (or the Net).

Prayers to the People of Japan, from Kobe to Osaka.

[wunaladreamin]

Jesus the images are just awful. I can't believe the sheer devastation. My prayers are with them.

[Gerard]

Watching the tsumami rush through the countryside is one of the scariest things I have ever viewed!! And totally fascinating.
The media is reporting that helicopters will be INVALUABLE in the relief effort in the main section where the 8.9 hit. And Japan is a very pro-helicopter country so they have lots of
assests miltary and civilan.
Also this is the first Digital Disaster with amazing images caught in an amazing variety of video cameras and people using social media to stay in touch, report and call for help.
Many of those incredible pictures are being photographed from Japanese News helicopters. And this is cool, unlike American stations that use small to medium helicopters for their
ENG operations, the Japanese go for the big metal using Sikorsky S-76s, Bell 430s with skids and in the case of TV Ashai a Eurocopter Dauphin. Check out this very well filmed video
of their ENG Dauphin taking off. Its like a flying TV control room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7dupd-x-Ig&feature=related

[Gerard]

I don't see how Yokota AFB would have a customs post to clear them from the plane nor the ability to handle the numerous flights that diverted there. Latest report was that Narita/Haneda might be reopening at 6am local.

Wasnt a 2nd military base used to land commercial flights? I would guess planes would be low on fuel especially long distance flights so I'd be happy to land anywhere. :tongue:
Scary thing now is the emergency going on at a nuclear plant outside Toyko. Reportedly it is leaking radiation and they are having difficulty cooling the core. Not good.

[gonzalu]

I can;t get away from CNN... ! I am totally shocked. The fact that they claim UP TO 1000 dead seems to me that they were superbly prepared. My hopes are for less than 1 fatality!!

[hiss srq]

It is now being reported that one of the affected nuclear plants in Japan has exploded....

[Gerard]

It is now being reported that one of the affected nuclear plants in Japan has exploded....

Yes, true and not good.

[megatop412]

I woke up this morning hoping to learn that they had contained the rising temps at the nuke plant. Instead there has been an explosion and a leak. They need to get all the people out of there, because I can't see this having a good ending anymore.

God help them.

[PhilDernerJr]

I believe they already had evacuated that area, and though there was an explosion, much of it was still contained.

[emshighway]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_6iDBoOvb0&feature=youtu.be

[gonzalu]

BTW for those on Cablevision... incredible coverage by NHK available for free for the month on Channel 265.

http://www.youtube.com/user/nhkonline?blend=1&ob=4

[mirrodie]

I read that they have at least one bullet train missing. MISSING? Imagine a 747 sitting at the tarmac and now gone, not like it fell from the sky but moved.

I am blown away by the magnitude of the devastation and pray for our Japanese friends.

[cancidas]

here's a before/ after slideshow from the times:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?ref=asia

[Gerard]

Just saw on CNN that they are bringing the BIG Metal in to help in relief and SAR in the form of CH-53 Stallions!!!! And Global Hawks are being launched to help put eyes on the damage
and devestation. Didnt realize how big those drones are!! The 33rd Rescue Squadron is part of this effort. And nice to see Hueys flying and being used in the relief effort!!

[PhilDernerJr]

Very cool to see Super Stallions taking part....those are some badass choppers.

Some wild footage is coming out now...many people just getting their internet connections finally uploading footage they got. Wild stuff, I can't believe what I'm seeing. I'm actually surprised to not see people int he water like I did from footage during the tsunami in southeast asia some years ago. I wish that was an indication of a low death toll...but I'm hearing some staggering numbers. :(

[Gerard]

Very cool to see Super Stallions taking part....those are some badass choppers.

Some wild footage is coming out now...many people just getting their internet connections finally uploading footage they got. Wild stuff, I can't believe what I'm seeing. I'm actually surprised to not see people int he water like I did from footage during the tsunami in southeast asia some years ago. I wish that was an indication of a low death toll...but I'm hearing some staggering numbers. :(

They still havent gotten into the hardest hit areas. Once that happens sadly the numbers will rise. And the footage coming out now shows the amazing power of the tsunami!! Just incredible. Like someone wrote earlier they are missing one or two TRAINS!!! And most of one town was wiped out along with close to 10,000 residents missing. Of course the whole nuclear reactor meltdown drama seems to be getting worse!!

[heeshung]

I just came across one of the most powerful images I've ever seen, thought I would share. A man is reunited with his long lost friend.

http://i.imgur.com/yU0aX.jpg

[Roush6NY]

I just came across one of the most powerful images I've ever seen, thought I would share. A man is reunited with his long lost friend.

http://i.imgur.com/yU0aX.jpg

Great find Mark, I am a huge dog lover and this is a touching image

[Gerard]

I just came across one of the most powerful images I've ever seen, thought I would share. A man is reunited with his long lost friend.
http://i.imgur.com/yU0aX.jpg

Wonderful image.
Watching now as a fire has broken out at reactor # 4. They have 6 reactors at that plant. And they are seriously considering having helicopters do water drops over the reactors.

[Gerard]

The SCARIEST and truly stunning video of the Tsunami I've seen.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/27/stunning-video-shows-japan-tsunami-ravage-kesennuma/?icid=maing%7Caim%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C52011