Japan stricken by 8.9 Earthquake and Tsunami

From the Associated Press

Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake

TOKYO (AP) - A ferocious tsunami unleashed by Japan’s biggest recorded earthquake slammed into its eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it carried away ships, cars and homes, and triggered widespread fires that burned out of control.

Hours later, the tsunami hit Hawaii but did not cause major damage. Warnings blanketed the Pacific, putting areas on alert as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West coast. In northeastern Japan, the area around a nuclear power plant was evacuated after the reactor’s cooling system failed.

Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 627 people were injured.

The magnitude-8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot (seven-meter) tsunami and was followed for hours by more than 50 aftershocks, many of them of more than magnitude 6.0.

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Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake

From the Associated Press

Tsunami swamps Hawaii beaches, brushes West Coast

HONOLULU (AP) - Tsunami waves swamped Hawaii beaches and brushed the U.S. western coast Friday but didn’t immediately cause major damage after devastating Japan and sparking evacuations throughout the Pacific.

Kauai was the first of the Hawaiian islands struck by the tsunami, which was caused by an earthquake in Japan. Water rushed ashore at least 11 feet high near Kealakekua Bay, on the west side of the Big Island, and reached the lobby of a hotel. Flooding was reported on Maui, and water washed up on roadways on the Big Island.

Scientists and officials warned that the first tsunami waves are not always the strongest and said residents along the coast should watch for strong currents and heed calls for evacuation.

“The tsunami warning is not over,” said Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie. “We are seeing significant adverse activity, particularly on Maui and the Big Island. By no means are we clear in the rest of the state as well.”

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Tsunami swamps Hawaii beaches, brushes West Coast

From MSNBC

Japan quake 5th largest on record; hundreds dead

TOKYO — A magnitude 8.9 earthquake — the biggest in modern Japanese history — slammed the island nation’s eastern coast Friday afternoon, unleashing a 23-foot tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland and prompting a “nuclear emergency.”

Hours later, the tsunami reached Hawaii, with initial reports citing little damage. Warnings blanketed the Pacific, putting areas on alert as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.

According to Japanese police, 200 to 300 bodies were found in Sendai, the coastal city closest to the epicenter. Another 137 people were confirmed killed, with 531 missing. At least 627 people were injured.

TV footage taken from a military plane showed fires engulfing a large waterfront area in northeastern Japan. Houses and other buildings were ablaze across large swathes of land in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, near Sendai. The city, with a population of 74,000, has residential, light industry and fishing areas.

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Japan quake 5th largest on record; hundreds dead

From MSNBC

Japan braces for economic aftershocks

The widespread damage from Japan’s deadly earthquake and tsunami will create economic and financial aftershocks for dozens of specific companies and industries. But the overall impact on Japan’s beleaguered economy may be relatively small.

Ironically, the influx of insurance claims to repair and rebuild could even provide a short-term economic stimulus.

The human toll is still being assessed after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake triggered a deadly 23-foot tsunami that swept away people, cars, houses, boats and planes. Dozens of people were killed, hundreds more are feared dead and tens of thousands have evacuated their homes.

Initial reports indicated that Tokyo, Japans’ financial center, was largely spared serious damage. The quake was centered in the northeast city of Sendai, a rice-growing region that is also home to auto and chip manufacturing plants.

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Japan braces for economic aftershocks

From the New York Times

Waves Hit Hawaii and Head Toward California

SAN FRANCISCO — A tsunami emanating from the massive earthquake that hit Japan on Friday sent 7-foot waves into the Hawaiian islands, but appears to have caused only minor damage there.

A tsunami warning, which directs residents of low-lying regions to move inland and to higher ground, have been issued along the West Coast of the United States, from central California to Alaska.

But by mid-morning in northern California, the waves hitting beaches were of a modest size and posed no flooding danger.

The effect of the tsunami, at least in the Bay Area, is expected to be minimized because waves spawned by the 8.9 earthquake in Japan are arriving during low tide. In Hawaii, far larger waves started hitting the islands early Friday and have caused damage to piers and marinas, officials said. There are no reports of deaths or injuries.

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Waves Hit Hawaii and Head Toward California

And finally, from a beach house in southern California comes this:

SURFS UP DUDES!

I wonder? Is Obama’s birth certificate SAFE in Hawaii?