# Massive quake and tsunami hit Japan



## adagio (Aug 23, 2002)

Wow!! Incredible amount of damage. I hope this link works okay. There's a link to live footage from Japan.


BBC News - Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

Parts of the BC coast are on tsunami advisory.
This is the biggest quake since the Chile quake back in 1900. The footage on CNN is incredible.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Wow just got out of the Sydney opera and saw this on - incredible footage. They've shut the bullet trains and some are stranded.
Boston Globe not even reporting it yet. 

Some incredible photos from Vancouver Sun

Japan's biggest earthquake in 140 years triggers massive tsunami











> Houses swept out to sea burn following a tsunami and earthquake in Natori City in northeastern Japan March 11, 2011. The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began 140 years ago struck the northeast coast on Friday, triggering a 10-metre tsunami that swept away everything in its path, including houses, ships, cars and farm buildings on fire.
> 
> Read more: Japan's biggest earthquake in 140 years triggers massive tsunami


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Wow.. just watching some footage.  

Reports of hundreds of casualties already, which I'm sure sadly will continue to rise.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

I had intended to post this article yesterday (before the quake) and thought better of it. Thankfully Marc found it as well. 

World to see biggest full moon in two decades - Yahoo! News UK



> Dr Tim O'Brien, a researcher at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester, said: "The dangers are really overplayed. You do get a bit higher than average tides than usual along coastlines as a result of the moon's gravitational pull, but nothing so significant that will cause a serious climatic disaster or anything for people to worry about."
> 
> 
> But according to Dr Victor Gostin, a Planetary and Environmental Geoscientist at Adelaide University, there may be a link between large-scale earthquakes in places around the equator and new and full moon situations. He said: "This is because the Earth-tides (analogous to ocean tides) may be the final trigger that sets off the earthquake."


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

eMacMan said:


> I had intended to post this article yesterday (before the quake) and thought better of it. Thankfully Marc found it as well.
> 
> World to see biggest full moon in two decades - Yahoo! News UK


Holy cow... that's fascinating.  Very eery that was printed 2 days ago and how the article reports "The last time the moon passed close to the Earth was on 10 January 2005, around the time of the Indonesian earthquake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale. "


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## adagio (Aug 23, 2002)

I wasn't going to post this for fear some may think I'm crazy but a few days ago I predicted a large earthquake somewhere in the ring of fire. My good friend in Hawaii jokingly said Japan was next. 

I follow the hawaiian volcano activity numerous times a day. About 2 days before the New Zealand quake the regular lava flows at Kilauea ceased. I told my Hawaiian friend some pressure must be building up somewhere. Sure enough it was NZ. The night before yesterday the new eruptions ceased and there was no visible signs of lava. I told my friend yesterday evening something was up again. That's when he mentioned Japan because it's at the other end of the plates. These plates are in a constant push and shove state. I'm sure both of these incidents are coincidence but if it happens a third time I'll really start to wonder about the correlation, if any. 

Watch for another large quake soon on the other side of the world.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

The Atlantic has a photoblog covering the damage in Japan.

And from Engadget, the manufacturing impact of the earthquake:



> Our thoughts this morning are with the folks in Japan and the other Pacific areas affected by the massive 8.9 earthquake that struck about 230 miles East of Tokyo. Reports of damage are flooding in from the country, and indeed many familiar manufacturers are checking in. Sony and Toyota have both stopped operations in their factories due to damage. Tragically, one Honda worker lost his life after a wall collapsed, while several Panasonic workers are said to have suffered minor injuries. It remains to be seen exactly what impacts this will have on consumers, but Sony's closed factories were responsible for the production of Blu-ray discs and batteries, while the numerous automotive shutdowns could result in short-term shortages. This bad news sent stocks downward, with German share prices for Sony dropping 2.5 percent and Honda 4.5 percent. We're still watching with concern to see what other impacts the resultant tsunamis could have, but for now we'll keep hoping for the best.
> 
> *Update*: Some further news from Smarthouse, which indicates that Sharp's new 10G LCD plant in Sakai City shut itself down automatically upon first signs of a quake. Hooray for technology.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

That Atlantic link was incredible Mark

this one in particular


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## MannyP Design (Jun 8, 2000)

+
YouTube Video









ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.






Amazing structural engineering in action.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Uh-oh.*

*Japan struggling to cool down nuclear reactor, minister says*



> The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor, located about 160 miles north of Tokyo, "remains at a high temperature" because it "cannot cool down," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters.
> 
> Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said that a small radiation leak could occur at the plant, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported early Saturday morning.
> 
> These and other issues caused by the 8.9-magnitude tremor prompted authorities to order an evacuation of people within 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.8 miles) of the plant, a move Edano called "precautionary."


(CNN)


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

Sheesh. A nuclear reactor that is not completely under control. The stuff of nightmares and horror flicks.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Oh. Crap.*

*Emergencies at 5 nuclear reactors in Japan after quake knocks out power to cooling systems*


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## 9780 (Sep 14, 2006)

Life almost seems normal in tokyo the morning after.just way more people than usual cuz not many could get home last night. Me included lol

North of japan was hit bad, the images I see in tv are tragic. 

Had ttouble sleeping cuz more quakes hit during the night. Geez.

Still, I see very little damage here. Amazing build quality!

Sent from my SH-03C


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

A bit of misinformation on the evening news saying that Three Mile Island was the only core meltdown in the US history.



> The *SL-1*, or *Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One*, was a United States Army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on January 3, 1961, killing its three operators. The direct cause was the improper withdrawal of the central control rod, responsible for absorbing neutrons in the poorly-designed reactor core. The event is the only known fatal reactor accident in the United States.


Story independently confirmed, more complete stories here:
SL-1 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SL-1 Accident - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory - The World's First Deadly Atomic Accident


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

patrix said:


> Life almost seems normal in tokyo the morning after.just way more people than usual cuz not many could get home last night. Me included lol
> 
> North of japan was hit bad, the images I see in tv are tragic.
> 
> ...


Good to hear you are OK patrix.


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## Fuji (Feb 24, 2005)

Took me nearly 24 hours to make sure all members of my family and friends / loved ones are ok.

I was awe struck watching the live footage of the Tsunami hit last night.

The reactor stuff is scary. I hope that the reality of the situation is transparent and communicated properly to the Japanese people and the world.

It's been a long day and I am under the influence of sake, so will cut out here. But I am relieved that my loved ones were in the grand scheme of things doing fine after yesterday's events.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

This just in from the Washington Post --

"An explosion rocked one of Japan's nuclear power plants Saturday, causing a portion of a building to crumble, sending white smoke billowing into the air and prompting Japanese officials to warn those in the vicinity to cover their mouths and stay indoors.

In what may be the most serious nuclear power crisis since the Chernobyl disaster, the explosion followed large tremors at the Fukushima Daiichi number one reactor Saturday afternoon, injuring four workers who were struggling to get the quake-stricken unit under control."

Japan reports explosion in nuclear power plant damaged by earthquake


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Fuji, I am glad to hear your family members are safe. That must have been a long day for you.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

(CNN) -- "The powerful earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami Friday appears to have moved the main island of Japan by 8 feet (2.4 meters) and shifted the Earth on its axis.

"At this point, we know that one GPS station moved (8 feet), and we have seen a map from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority) in Japan showing the pattern of shift over a large area is consistent with about that much shift of the land mass," said Kenneth Hudnut, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Reports from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy estimated the 8.9-magnitude quake shifted the planet on its axis by nearly 4 inches (10 centimeters)."

Quake moved Japan coast 8 feet; shifted Earth's axis - CNN.com

An astounding fact re this tragic event.


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## chasMac (Jul 29, 2008)

It's all good:

Fears of meltdown calm after explosion at Japanese nuclear plant - The Globe and Mail

And G&M is big on environmental disasters - nothing like a giant nuclear meltdown to increase circulation.


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

It's not all good. 

It's too early to say that a major scale nuclear catastrophe has been avoided. 

There are still conflicting reports about what actually happened at the Fukushima reactor and what the resulting radioactive levels are. 

Nuclear engineers are still desperately trying to reduce the pressure and heat by pumping seawater into the reactor container. This effort, ironically, is sustained using batteries due to lack of power. How long can those batteries last? 

While it looks like this will be more of a Three Mile Island than a Chernobyl type event, it's not under control yet. Reactors are doing what they were designed to do. 

Reactors gonna react.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

As of Sunday evening (CST), there are now six reactors in Japan that have lost their reactor cooling capability.

2011/03/13 10:04 - Another Reactor At Fukushima Nuke Plant Loses Cooling Functions

M


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## keebler27 (Jan 5, 2007)

I find the entire situation just heart breaking. such devastation and loss of life.   

the images are disturbing to say the least. what really hit me is watching the footage of the waves hitting California. When I think of the distance those waves travelled and they still hit with some power. I couldn't image being that close to the epicentre.

The nuclear reactor situation is downright scary on a global level as well as for them locally.

I guess as I get older, I realize how precious this planet and life are and events like this are just shocking.

Mama Nature does rule us and what we do to it, might come back to bite us hard


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##  Dumpling (May 28, 2010)

My thoughts and prayers for the people of Japan. I really hope a nuclear meltdown does not occur to add their woes. The resilience of the Japanese will see them recover from this. Gutted by the images we are seeing. How easily broken we truly are, make every moment count.


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami


Move the slider to compare satellite images, taken by GeoEye, from before and after the disaster.


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## fellfromtree (May 18, 2005)

Big photo set from the NYT

Photos of Japan After Earthquake and Tsunami - Photographs - NYTimes.com


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

fellfromtree said:


> Big photo set from the NYT
> 
> Photos of Japan After Earthquake and Tsunami - Photographs - NYTimes.com


The image of all the cargo containers jumbled together does spark one idea. At least some of these could be fairly easily cleaned up and used as temporary habitation, as I am sure rebuilding will take quite a long period of time.


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## adagio (Aug 23, 2002)

I've looked at hundreds and hundreds of photos of the devastation. It seems so surreal. It's the kind of stuff you see in a Hollywood movie then laugh thinking it couldn't be real. Unfortunately it is all real and you have to know there are thousands of heros and stars on the ground who will never see their names as the credits roll..... but they certainly deserve a big applause. 

I guess I'm likely not the only one who is slightly tongue tied. I can't seem to express the horror and sadness I feel for those folks. I took one look at some of the photos of people there crying and softy me burst into tears too.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

adagio said:


> I've looked at hundreds and hundreds of photos of the devastation. It seems so surreal. It's the kind of stuff you see in a Hollywood movie then laugh thinking it couldn't be real. Unfortunately it is all real and you have to know there are thousands of heros and stars on the ground who will never see their names as the credits roll..... but they certainly deserve a big applause.
> 
> I guess I'm likely not the only one who is slightly tongue tied. I can't seem to express the horror and sadness I feel for those folks. I took one look at some of the photos of people there crying and softy me burst into tears too.


Surreal is an apt word, adagio. I looked at the pictures and just could not fathom the extent of the damage, or the depths of despair these people must be experiencing. The picture of the container all strewn about like toys was the one that got me thinking about the sheer power of the water, since I have seen first-hand the size of these containers. Even if everyone was empty, it still would take a mighty force to carry them about. 

Paix, mon amie.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

Just watched this video (CBC News) of the tsunami. Watching this, I wondered how Halifax, or any Nova Scotia coastal community, would fare...


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## keebler27 (Jan 5, 2007)

Dr.G. said:


> Surreal is an apt word, adagio. I looked at the pictures and just could not fathom the extent of the damage, or the depths of despair these people must be experiencing. The picture of the container all strewn about like toys was the one that got me thinking about the sheer power of the water, since I have seen first-hand the size of these containers. Even if everyone was empty, it still would take a mighty force to carry them about.
> 
> Paix, mon amie.


i won't look for the video now just b/c i find it tough to watch, but it's the one where the water is coming in from the bay, carrying cars, houses etc...and there's a group of buildings that get absolutely slammed and destroyed the water carrying everything.

it just shows the sheer power of the water. Those people didn't have a chance. 
i was standing on the beach today thinking, 'what if a tsunami roared up?"

we'd all be screwed. then i thought of all the people who may have been asleep or unknowing. given that the news said the epicentre was 125 kms from shore and it only took 10-15 minutes for the tsunami to hit....ick.


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## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

I did a tour of videos and photos this afternoon. 

My heart is broken. 

Last time I felt that way was watching the trade centre go down. 

So sad for so many people in Japan. My thoughts and prayers are with them. 

Just absolute devastation. 

I also felt ashamed watching those as I'm sure a lot of us do, because there is this built in excitement / morbid curiosity watching the footage of the destruction. Just like we peak at the car crash and we watch hollywood films based on disasters. There is something so fascinating watching the destruction at the same time being so horrible.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"it just shows the sheer power of the water. Those people didn't have a chance. 
i was standing on the beach today thinking, 'what if a tsunami roared up?""

I am able to see the Atlantic Ocean from my roof here in St.John's. This afternoon, I tried to estimate how far from my house a tsunami might force the water into our city, much like CubaMark suggested in an earlier posting. I am 303 feet above sea level but I could imagine much of St. John's, especially downtown, being under water.

I like watching the waves here in NL, but I don't think that I shall see them in quite the same way anymore. One truly needs to respect their force and power. As far as the oceans of the world are concerned, they are great teachers who do not accept failing grades. 

Still, right now, my prayers are for the survivors in Japan of this force of Nature.

Paix, mon ami.


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## adagio (Aug 23, 2002)

People don't respect the power of water in movement. It's the same thing with hurricanes and the surges that come with them. The hurricane wind itself didn't destroy New Orleans and the coast of Alabama. It was the surge of water onshore that killed. It's the same in Japan. The quake, despite it's strength, caused little damage to the majority of buildings. The nuclear plants were built to withstand the strong earthquakes but not designed to handle a tsunami. Tragically, lessons learned.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

"Tragically, lessons learned." All too true, adagio.


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

CubaMark said:


> Just watched this video (CBC News) of the tsunami. Watching this, I wondered how Halifax, or any Nova Scotia coastal community, would fare...


For those of us on the West Coast, this is a very real concern. Tsunamis have been devastating this coast for all of human memory, going back to 1700, when the Huu-ay-aht First Nations village of Anacla was erased by a tsunami.

Although our house sits at 60 metres above sea level, a lot of our activities take us to 10 metres above sea level or less, and that's the altitude at which the tsunami damage occurred in the Sendai area. All the village centres on SaltSpring Island, and most town and city centres on Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland are at or close to sea level, and will be wiped out in the next big tsunami, which may accompany the next big earthquake, due anytime now.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Dr T said:


> For those of us on the West Coast, this is a very real concern. Tsunamis have been devastating this coast for all of human memory, going back to 1700, when the Huu-ay-aht First Nations village of Anacla was erased by a tsunami.
> 
> Although our house sits at 60 metres above sea level, a lot of our activities take us to 10 metres above sea level or less, and that's the altitude at which the tsunami damage occurred in the Sendai area. All the village centres on SaltSpring Island, and most town and city centres on Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland are at or close to sea level, and will be wiped out in the next big tsunami, which may accompany the next big earthquake, due anytime now.


I have sailed around Salt Spring Island, Dr.T. and can imagine what might happen to you folks there with a tsunami. The only one to hit NL was back in 1929 when a 7.2 earthquake and tsunami hit just off of the Grand Banks and came ashore at Grand Bank, NL. 

Bonne chance, mon ami.


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## rollee (Feb 26, 2003)

This did it for me.
I cannot stop thinking if I was there at that moment, what could one even know how to react?

The rest are here:
Japan Earthquake Aftermath - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

^ It's just so sad and that last picture makes me think how fragile life really is.


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

SINC said:


> ^ It's just so sad and that last picture makes me think how fragile life really is.


So true Don, and I keep hoping that Japan's sorrow is a wakeup call for us Canadian west-coasters, and Quebecers as well. Being prepared just makes good sense.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

SINC said:


> ^ It's just so sad and that last picture makes me think how fragile life really is.


All too true, Sinc, in any and all situations. Paix, mon ami.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

And some good news:

BBC News - Japan quake: Survivor rescued from roof out at sea


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Dr.G. said:


> I have sailed around Salt Spring Island, Dr.T. and can imagine what might happen to you folks there with a tsunami. The only one to hit NL was back in 1929 when a 7.2 earthquake and tsunami hit just off of the Grand Banks and came ashore at Grand Bank, NL.
> 
> Bonne chance, mon ami.


You are one up on me. I cannot claim to have sailed around Newfoundland.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Dr T said:


> You are one up on me. I cannot claim to have sailed around Newfoundland.


Sailing around SSI is far easier than sailing around the island part of NL. That is my son at the wheel, no yours truly. Paix, mon ami.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Here is an interesting way to show the devastation by the NY Times with a drag feature in each picture to allow you to see the before and after the tsunami:

Satellite Photos - Japan Before and After Tsunami - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com


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## Dr T (May 16, 2009)

Dr.G. said:


> Sailing around SSI is far easier than sailing around the island part of NL. That is my son at the wheel, no yours truly. Paix, mon ami.


That's quite the "sailboat".


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Dr T said:


> That's quite the "sailboat".


Not my boat, but we should not really be talking about such things in this thread. I don't want to trivialize or derail a serious discussion about the situation in Japan. Paix, mon ami.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

gwillikers said:


> So true Don, and I keep hoping that Japan's sorrow is a wakeup call for us Canadian west-coasters, and Quebecers as well. Being prepared just makes good sense.


Hardly a coastal issue. The 1812 New Madrid earthquakes (south of St. Louis) were 10x stronger than the 1906 San Francisco quake. Were they to reoccur today the devastation along the Mississippi River would be devastating.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Kudos to the Apple Store folks in Japan:*

*Apple Store Becomes Refugee Camp During Earthquake in Japan*



> Apple Store became a sort of make-shift refugee camp during the disaster.
> 
> Even after the quake struck, the store remained opened, and served as a hotspot for survivors to charge their devices and contact family members using the computers. Employees even stayed after hours to fix devices and teach people how to receive news on their iPhones.





> Apple allowed staff to sleep at the store, which had a stockpile of food and beverages, and paid for hotel rooms, transportation, and food for employees who were left stranded elsewhere.


(Read the full letter at Kevin Rose via iFans)


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## winstonh (May 1, 2009)

A great source on information for the crisis in Japan:

2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

Every time I see images of the flooding and human suffering and displacement in Japan, I am reminded of a somewhat similar disaster called hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans. We were living in Houston at the time and received (and helped) many of those displaced people for months afterwards. 

Just seeing and meeting those shell-shocked people (people like you and I) that managed to make their way to Houston was enough for me. 

None could believe the situation they were in now. None could believe that they might not have their home anymore, or their car or access to funds, etc. Many had lost their ID, bank cards, cheque books, credit cards. If they still had a cell phone, they likely didn’t have a charger and chargers were quickly sold out, everywhere. 

Renting a vehicle, if you could even find one available was a challenge with no ID, driver’s license, credit cards. Many only had the clothes on their backs with few other possessions. They were all amazed to find themselves miles from home, with virtually nothing, accepting food and used clothing, bedding, personal grooming products - whatever from complete strangers. 

Imagine going from having basically everything you need to almost nothing, overnight. Most were gainfully employed prior to the hurricane, but afterward couldn’t get a hold of their employer...and if they could, business as usual had stopped, as did the paychecks. 

Unfortunately the scam artists seemed to come out of the woodwork in droves and there was much shady business going on with sales of stolen vehicles, fake IDs, credit cards, even fake “refugees” accepting assistance and handouts when they were actually local residents. This only made the whole situation harder for the real victims. 

If they were lucky enough to find a hotel/motel room to stay in, they were sleeping 8 and sometimes more to a room. Hotel/motel plumbing couldn't handle the extra load and many sewer lines were plugged with little or no hope of getting it fixed on a timely basis. People had little choice but to relieve themselves in the street. The loss of dignity is significant.

One tends to think that they are “safe” if they have a home, a vehicle, a steady job/income, cell phone and easy access to your bank account. What if that all goes away in an instant? And the same thing happens to most, if not all, of your usual support network of friends and family? 

It's amazing what we take for granted. 

The one main difference I wish to note is that (unless I have missed them) I have not seen any videos or reports from Japan of looting or hoarding related violence that was sadly prevalent with the Katrina disaster. 

Kudos to the Japanese for maintaining such dignity and respect through this crisis despite the desperation that they must be feeling.


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## bgw (Jan 8, 2008)

What the staff at the Apple Store in Tokyo did was fantastic:

I've spent a great deal of time in Japan, and a decent about of time in Sendai and environs where the quake, tsunami and reactor problems hit. It is a beautiful area with wonderful beaches for swimming, mountains for hiking, fresh sea food for eating, etc. I have a number of friends in the area; fortunately we have been able to contact them and they have not been injured or suffered any serious property losses. It helped that they are one small mountain range away from the coast.

Now I'm getting concerned about in-laws and friends nearer Tokyo. I wish I could buy them all airline tickets and fly them down to Osaka or Kyushu, or even better here, to Canada, where the supply of food, shelter and power is reliable.


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

Oh no. I have just seen Anderson Cooper announce that the remaining workers (estimated number = 50) have been pulled from the reactor having the most problems. 

Even though it seems to have come from reliable sources, Anderson is skeptical whether this is actually true or not. Perhaps they are just switching the team out. Otherwise, who is left to continue the battle to get it under control?


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

I got a text from Wind Mobile today saying that all calls to Japan until March 31 would be billed at 10 cents a minute.

A small touch, but a nice one.


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

The Fukushima reactor workers did leave, but they have since returned to continue the battle.

Mother nature has now delivered freezing temperatures and snow upon the northern region of Japan. While this may help the reactor issues, it sure doesn't make the search and rescue efforts any easier.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

iconic photo










excellent coverage here about the quake and the geology underlying plus the consequences

Special report: After Japan's megaquake - New Scientist

coverage of the reactor issue - here....it's really the cooling pond that was in the building that is the issue - reactors are not the big issue - it's interim cooling pond.

very well explained here

BraveNewClimate

No tin foil caps needed


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

An excellent page with before & after images - using a javascript rollover within the same photo... good use of the technology to show the degree of devastation...

ABC News - Japan Earthquake: before and after

M


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

astounding and heart rending photos.....
Japan earthquake survivor holds dead mother's hand as she says final goodbye | Mail Online


one of a number


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Japan has been hit again* 

*Japan hit with another earthquake, Tsunami warning as the NRC issues chilling find on reactor 2*



> Japan was rocked again by a second earthquake, this one measuring between 7.1 and 7.4 and the Japanese government has issued another Tsunami warning.


*AND
*


> The Nuclear Regulatory Commission thinks the reactor in unit 2 of Japan’s disabled power plant got so hot it “probably melted through the reactor pressure vessel,” U.S. Representative Edward Markey said.





> The pressure vessel is one line of defense preventing a larger radiation leak from Fukushima Dai-Ichi’s crippled reactors, where workers have sought to reconnect power to provide a steady supply of water.
> 
> “After you lose the vessel, then you are down to one final barrier, that’s the containment,” Virgilio told reporters.


(Crooks & Liars)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

Boston.com's Big Picture photogallery has a feature on Japan three months after the quake / tsunami...


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## bgw (Jan 8, 2008)

That's a great series of pictures. It is good to see the Japanese making such progress on rebuilding.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

Japan Earthquake: Six Months Later - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*The long-lasting and far-reaching effects of this disaster....*

*Tsunami Debris Already Arriving*





> The coastal community of Tofino, B.C., spent the Christmas season mentally preparing for the grim task of collecting, sorting and cataloguing debris from the tsunami that devastated parts of coastal Japan early this year.
> 
> Mayor Perry Schmunk is certain that items that were washed away in the March 11 disaster in northern Japan have already made it to B.C. shores, in particular at the surfing capital of Long Beach.
> 
> "Definitely this stuff is increasing in incidence that is coming ashore," Schmunk said, pointing to some lumber with Japanese export stamps on it.


(HuffingtonPost Canada)


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## 9780 (Sep 14, 2006)

CubaMark said:


> *The long-lasting and far-reaching effects of this disaster....*
> 
> *Tsunami Debris Already Arriving*


9 months it took.. wow.. Strange though, I remember a few months back when it reached Hawaii, and even a few weeks back when it reached California. Did it just now reach BC?

Well ok, I guess it was quick, I remember this story earlier in the year about a girl in Hawaii or something who found a message in a bottle from a girl in Japan... a message that was sent 5 years before lol


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

An interesting tsunami-related story...

*How collective memory saved lives during Japan's tsunami*



> I am an engineer and a disaster researcher; I went to Japan after the March 11, 2011, magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake to try to identify lessons there that could benefit future disaster-response operations.
> 
> In late May, I was following the usual research routine of interviewing individuals involved at the various stages of the disaster response...





> In a refugee center on the beautiful island of Miyatojima, at the entrance to Matsushima Bay, I stumbled on a story that, by its reach back in time, taught me something unexpected: Collective memory, as much as science and engineering, may save your life.





> he and his neighbors were well aware that a large earthquake would generate a large tsunami and they knew, particularly, what to do because "a thousand years ago" a massive earthquake and tsunami had all but wiped out Murohama.





> Some 50 generations later, on March 11, 2011, the Murohama tsunami warning tower — which was supposed to sound an alarm — was silent, toppled by the temblor. Still, without the benefit of an official warning system supported by modern science, the locals relied on the lesson that had been transmitted generation to generation for 1,000 years. "We all know the story about the two tsunami waves that collided at the shrine,"


(LA Times)


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