Major tsunami damage in N Japan after 8.9 quake

[Chris_]

Here's some live video during the quake:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KQ2-gTqFfA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[BlueStateSaint]

My sister and BIL, and their three daughters, are in Port Hueneme CA.  At 5:39 AM, I called my mother and sais, "Call her and tell her."  My mother wanted me to call, but I said no, she won't listen to me.  Just talked to my mother again--my sister got the message, but we're not sure how much of the tsunami will hit there.  I just saw a blurb on Drudge that said something about waves of 6' forecast for CA.

[debk]

Early this morning, Fox News had a sailor from the USS Lincoln on the phone in Honolulu. They were in port on their way back from deployment.

His hotel had told everyone from the 3rd and below, to move upward. He was calling from a room on the 11th floor. Those off the Lincoln, were being told to stay where they were, which sort of surprised me....I thought they would be called back to ship immediately, to make sure that all were safely aboard before the wave hit.

Son was on the Lincoln when the 2004 one hit. They were in Hong Kong, at the time, and getting ready to leave port. They were immediately sent to the tsunami area. Fox News was broadcasting that the Lincoln group was headed there, before those on ship were told.

Because of his job, he did not leave the boat, but said he will never forget the things he saw floating in the water....

Prayers for all those in the affected areas, and prayers, too, for those who will be doing rescue and recovery.

[BEG]

This is terrible.      My husband was in Japan several years ago and experienced his first earthquake. Since moving to CA we have had a few. I can't imagine what it would be like to go through one as strong as the one in Japan.

[Gina]

At the risk of being labeled a heartless bastard, I wonder how much this is going to cost the American tax payer in aid to Japan.

hate to say it but that was my first thought too 

[Boudicca]

This will go down in the history books as an epic tragedy. :(I pray the loss of life isn't as severe as it's looking right now.  Everyone on the West Coast, stay safe.  

[NHSparky]

More than likely the Japanese nuke DOES have emergency power available from their diesel generators (quite large ones at that).

If it's anything like our systems, the plant scrammed during the main shock due to turbine trip most likely.  Coupled with the loss of offsite power, the DG's would have started automatically and the safety injection/decay heat removal systems would have kicked in automatically.  The reason they're calling at least an unusual event if not a site emergency is because they're having to use those systems in order to remove the decay heat and place the plant in a safe shutdown/cooldown condition, not because there's been any release of radioactivity.

[IassaFTots]

Thanks for that Sparky.  My knowledge of nuclear reactors is minimal at best. 

[namvet]

Early this morning, Fox News had a sailor from the USS Lincoln on the phone in Honolulu. They were in port on their way back from deployment.

His hotel had told everyone from the 3rd and below, to move upward. He was calling from a room on the 11th floor. Those off the Lincoln, were being told to stay where they were, which sort of surprised me....I thought they would be called back to ship immediately, to make sure that all were safely aboard before the wave hit.

Son was on the Lincoln when the 2004 one hit. They were in Hong Kong, at the time, and getting ready to leave port. They were immediately sent to the tsunami area. Fox News was broadcasting that the Lincoln group was headed there, before those on ship were told.

Because of his job, he did not leave the boat, but said he will never forget the things he saw floating in the water....

Prayers for all those in the affected areas, and prayers, too, for those who will be doing rescue and recovery.

back on board ship is the last place I'd wanna be !!!!!

[NHSparky]

back on board ship is the last place I'd wanna be !!!!!

Better an aircraft carrier than a submarine.  I'm pretty sure if they could get underway, they're gone.

And I just heard on FNC that Shrillary has said they're sending "coolant" to the affected nuke plants.

Uh, Hillary?  I think they've got plenty of water already, ya bitotch.

[namvet]

Better an aircraft carrier than a submarine.  I'm pretty sure if they could get underway, they're gone.

And I just heard on FNC that Shrillary has said they're sending "coolant" to the affected nuke plants.

Uh, Hillary?  I think they've got plenty of water already, ya bitotch.

I don't think any ship is safe from this

[compaqxp]

At the risk of being labeled a heartless bastard, I wonder how much this is going to cost the American tax payer in aid to Japan.

At least Japan is a developed nation and should be able to rebuild better then lets say....Haiti

I can't picture it being more then that, or for as long after...but then again.

This will go down in the history books as an epic tragedy. :(I pray the loss of life isn't as severe as it's looking right now.

Same here. 

[MP_Sarge]

At the risk of being labeled a heartless bastard, I wonder how much this is going to cost the American tax payer in aid to Japan.

I dunno, but given that we have US Marines, Sailors and other US Personnel stationed in and around Japan, I don't think I'll be doing much whining about providing aid to the Nation they live in.

[Rebel]

I don't think any ship is safe from this

In deep water, the wave travels under water until it hits a continental shelf or something like an island. Any ships out at sea should be unaffected.

[TexasCop]

You'd think, with all their experience fighting Godzilla, they'd be better prepared for a major emergency.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Too soon?   

[namvet]

In deep water, the wave travels under water until it hits a continental shelf or something like an island. Any ships out at sea should be unaffected.

they travel on top to.

[Chris_]

Between 200-300 bodies wash up on Sendai beach, Japan

Up to 300 bodies were found in the coastal city of Sendai, media said. NHK television said the victims appeared to have drowned. The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly.

I read a headline earlier today that said an estimated 600 people were swept into the ocean during the earthquake.

[namvet]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DSSssHxm4Y[/youtube]

[MP_Sarge]

they travel on top to.

The buoys have been tracking wave height of >1 meter at sea.
Depending on the depth of water a vessel was standing in, they might experience a tsunami as a small swell, but generally as Reb said, the energy from a tsunami travels deep underwater until shallow depths at the continental shelf force the energy UP, and create a wave.

Edited because I can't seem to type this morning.

[Full-Auto]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9QNzGY0qxw[/youtube]

That would be so freaking crazy.

CitizenTube has lots of video.

http://www.youtube.com/citizentube?feature=ticker#p/c/1/x9QNzGY0qxw

[namvet]

The buoys have been tracking wave height of >1 meter at sea.
Depending on the depth of water a vessel was standing in, they might experience a tsunami as a small swell, but generally as Reb said, the energy from a tsunami travels deep underwater until shallow depths at the continental shelf force the energy UP, and create a wave.

Edited because I can't seem to type this morning.

its a fact hundreds of ships have been rolled by "surface" tsunami's hundreds of miles offshore

[MP_Sarge]

Got a link to that fact?

The buoys I've been tracking all friggin' night would be amazed to know that they were hit with waves anything over 1 meter, since I haven't seen a single buoy in the entire Pacific Ocean that has experienced a change in depth frequency that exceeded 3 meters.

[MP_Sarge]

http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/about/physics.htm

NOAA... I'd go ahead and call them the experts here.

As the tsunami crosses the deep ocean, its length from crest to crest may be a hundred miles or more, and its height from crest to trough will only be a few feet or less. They can not be felt aboard ships nor can they be seen from the air in the open ocean. In the deepest oceans, the waves will reach speeds exceeding 600 miles per hour (970 km/hr). When the tsunami enters the shoaling water of coastlines in its path, the velocity of its waves diminishes and the wave height increases. It is in these shallow waters that a large tsunami can crest to heights exceeding 100 feet (30 m) and strike with devastating force.

http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/2011/03/11/lhvpd9/11/messagelhvpd9-11.htm

Tsunamis can be dangerous waves that are not survivable. Wave heights are amplified by irregular shoreline and are difficult to forecast. Tsunamis often appear as a strong surge and may be preceded by a receding water level. Mariners in water deeper than 600 feet should not be affected by a tsunami. Wave heights will increase rapidly as water shallows. Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves which can be dangerous for several hours after the initial wave arrival. DO NOT return to evacuated areas until an all clear is given by local civil authorities.

[Rebel]

its a fact hundreds of ships have been rolled by "surface" tsunami's hundreds of miles offshore

http://www.pep.bc.ca/tsunamis/causes_2.htm


I had to keep hitting play for some reason.

[MP_Sarge]

http://www.pep.bc.ca/tsunamis/causes_2.htm


I had to keep hitting play for some reason.

Reb's animation does make the good point that ships directly over the source of the tsunami at it's inception would likely experience tremendous disturbance.

Aside from that, ships in the open ocean have nothing to fear from a tsunami.
Aside from the extra paperwork involved in reporting the non-event to science orgs.