Japan hit by 8.8 magnitude earthquake!

[Skyclad1uhm1]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598

Japan issued its most serious tsunami warning, saying a wave as high as 6m (20ft) could strike the coast near Miyagi prefecture.

US officials said the 8.8-magnitude quake struck about 250 miles (400km) from Tokyo at a depth of 20 miles.

Any other news sources with more information? Any news on casualties or damage?

Edit: Update: Dutch news reports that a tsunami hit the town of Kaimashi, smoke has been seen in the Tokio harbour, and numerous wounded have been seen.

Edit2: CNN says 8.9 in the text, the video claims 7.9: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/11/japan.quake/index.html?hpt=P1#

Edit3: Live images at Al Jazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

 

[dennilfloss]

That powerful a quake is mind-boggling to this geologist. If that hit inland, the damage will be extreme.

Not the strongest but it ranks up there with the bigguns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_earthquakes#Largest_earthquakes_by_magnitude

"We can't repel power of that magnitude!!"

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

The Dutch newssite says 10km under the sea, and 179km east of Sendai. But I assume that the exact location will become known later.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Do we have Japanese ATers, and if so, can anyone check whether they are ok?

 

[monovillage]

The Japanese service estimated it at 7.9, USGS says magnitude 8.9, my bet is that the USGS will downgrade it and the Japanese service will upgrade at some time in the future. My bet is 8.4, very damaging and tsunami damage should be extensive.

 

[davmat787]

8.9

Our colleagues east who are sleeping are sure going to have something to wake up to. Good luck Japan, this one is bad. I swore I read somewhere a link to a post or something claiming CA will get hit with a 6.4+ in the next 4 weeks too.

 

[Throckmorton]

Tsunami watch here. If a tsunami hits it will be at 3am or later.

I went and filled up my gas tank. When I got to the gas station there were a few people waiting, maybe 3 or 4. By the time I left, the Tesoro parking lot was full, with cars lined up in the street.

 

[umbrella39]

I'm watching this on TV right now and it looks really bad. Tsunami warning for Hawaii for 3am Hawaii time.

Get to high ground guys.

 

[davmat787]

The video they are getting from helicopters is stunning. We have never seen tsunami damage in action on this scale before.

 

[umbrella39]

The video they are getting from helicopters is stunning. We have never seen tsunami damage in action on this scale before.

This. They are showing houses, building, cars, just flowing slowly across the flat, low grasslands taking everything it it's path. I have never seen anything like this.

 

[JSt0rm]

That video of the wave is unreal

 

[Throckmorton]

They're predicting 6ft wave in Hawaii

 

[JSt0rm]

This. They are showing houses, building, cars, just flowing slowly across the flat, low grasslands taking everything it it's path. I have never seen anything like this.

That house on fire sliding along in the water looked like a god damn movie. You also could see people driving in cars and there was 1 person on foot running D:

 

[trenchfoot]

Tsunami warning sirens have just been activated here in Hawaii. Estimate is for a two meter high surge arriving earliest 3:00 AM.

Hawaii local time is now 10:10 PM.

 

[davmat787]

The videos and data they are getting for this is big win for tsunami science. Not worth the cost obviously, but no doubt this will help tsunami warning technology once the data and video is compiled.

 

[Kanalua]

The tsunami warning sirens just went off here in Honolulu...

 

[Destiny]

I swore I read somewhere a link to a post or something claiming CA will get hit with a 6.4+ in the next 4 weeks too.

A 6.4 is normal in Calif... when it gets over 7.5 is when we think its really heavy...

 

[Destiny]

Tsunami warning sirens have just been activated here in Hawaii. Estimate is for a two meter high surge arriving earliest 3:00 AM.

Hawaii local time is now 10:10 PM.

The tsunami warning sirens just went off here in Honolulu...

Hope everyone in Hawaii will be okay...

Prayers to everyone in Japan...

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Big explosion at that oil refinery that's on fire...

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

8 confirmed dead.

 

[davmat787]

8 confirmed dead.

Too soon. There will be digits after that unfortunately, the scale of this combined with the flat lands us devastating.

 

[davmat787]

Reportly over 4 million buildings in and around Tokyo are without power.

 

[davmat787]

Hawaii evacuating low level areas, hope our colleagues and their family in HI are, and will be, ok. It is earlier there, so that will help.

 

[davmat787]

Japan shut down (all?) five nuclear reactors, but they are listed as safe for now.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

19 confirmed dead now according to Al Jazeera, 5 according to the Japanese government.