Reported 7.6 Earthquake In Japan/Tsunami Warnings Downgraded

[Sabrefan1]

Japan just had another huge quake.  Reportedly a 7.6.  It looks like the tsunamis are now following. 

 

*edit* So far it's only been a couple small "waves".  Hopefully it stays that way.

 

 

 

Edited January 1 by Sabrefan1

[Bounce000]

Pretty scary, hopefully it’s nothing like the 2011 tsunami.

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, Bounce000 said:

Pretty scary, hopefully it’s nothing like the 2011 tsunami.

 

I know little about Japanese topography.  Not sure if there are any nuclear reactors along that coast.

[Sabrefan1]

 

[Pears]

New year off to a great start I see 

[gwarrior]

Wow. Way to kick off the new year. I should probably get my shit together and replace the things in my earthquake kit.

[Pears]

Since the 7.6 one???

[Sabrefan1]

Just now, Pears said:

Since the 7.6 one???

 

Good question.  I saw much longer videos of the quake than I posted.  That thing kept going like the Energizer Bunny.  I wouldn't be surprised if they're still getting nailed with aftershocks.

 

I think the concern now is any large tsunamis hitting.  They're already getting hit with smaller tsunami "waves" in a spot or two. 

[Miss Korea]

Well, the Tohoku earthquake had a 9.1 magnitude while this one is only 7.5.  By that standard alone it's a much smaller quake, but there's obviously a million other factors.  This one is a lot closer to the coast and leaves little time for evacuation.  It's also been a pretty rough winter out there.

 

Hopefully the infrastructure holds up during the initial phase.

[Pears]

14 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Good question.  I saw much longer videos of the quake than I posted.  That thing kept going like the Energizer Bunny.  I wouldn't be surprised if they're still getting nailed with aftershocks.

 

I think the concern now is any large tsunamis hitting.  They're already getting hit with smaller tsunami "waves" in a spot or two. 

The thing I'm a little worried about is if this is a chain reaction to the start of a bigger event. 

[PeteyBOI]

1 hour ago, Pears said:

New year off to a great start I see 

its not new years yet for them

[PeteyBOI]

the thumbnail is click bait... but this is live coverage

Edited January 1 by MidKnight Ego

[Pears]

14 minutes ago, MidKnight Ego said:

its not new years yet for them

They're 15 hours ahead of us actually so it is. 

[PeteyBOI]

2 hours ago, Pears said:

They're 15 hours ahead of us actually so it is. 

my mistake, its like a internet rule to just disagree with any statement, if your wrong someone will correct you...

[Alflives]

25 minutes ago, MidKnight Ego said:

my mistake, its like a internet rule to just disagree with any statement, if your wrong someone will correct you...

[PeteyBOI]

Just now, Alflives said:

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, MidKnight Ego said:

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

From the Associated Press (through CBC):

Quote

Japan lowers tsunami warning but tells people not to return home yet after earthquakes hit

South Korea reports tsunami wave on its eastern coast due to the quakes

The Associated Press · Posted: Jan 01, 2024 2:58 AM PST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Road cracks caused by an earthquake are seen in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in Japan on Monday. (Kyodo/Reuters)

Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert, issued following a series of major earthquakes on Monday, but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.

 

The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan's main island, Honshu. It was unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt.

 

The Japan Meterological Agency said more than a dozen quakes struck in the Japan Sea off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4 p.m. local time.

 

The agency initially issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Honshu, as well as the northernmost of its main islands, Hokkaido. 

People evacuate toward higher ground after a tsunami warning caused by an earthquake in Wajima, Japan. (Kyodo/Reuters)

The warning was downgraded to a regular tsunami several hours later, meaning the waters could still reach up to three metres. Aftershocks could also slam the same area over the next few days, it said. 

 

Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that nuclear plants in the area had not reported any irregularities, but said it was critical for people in coastal areas to get away from the oncoming tsunami.

An image taken in Hong Kong on Monday shows a warning message on a screen from a live feed on NHK World that asked people to evacuate from the area after a series of major earthquakes hit central Japan. (Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images)

"Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately," he said.

 

People returning to get their wallets and other belongings have been known to be swept away and drowned even hours after the first evacuation warning. People were evacuated to stadiums, where they will likely have to stay for a few days.

 

Hayashi said no reports of deaths or injuries had been confirmed from the quakes, saying the situation was still unclear. Japan's military was taking part in the rescue efforts, he said.

Collapsed buildings

The earthquakes themselves also caused damage. Japanese news footage showed smoke and flames spewing from an area in Wajima city, Ishikawa Prefecture, where there reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings. Images carried by local media showed a building collapsing in a plume of dust in the coastal city of Suzu. 

 

The quake also jolted buildings in the capital Tokyo, some 500 kilometres from Wajima on the opposite coast.

 

More than 36,000 households had lost power in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, utilities provider Hokuriku Electric Power said. Bullet trains in those areas were halted.

The earthquake damaged a commercial building in Kaga. (Kyodo/Reuters)

Japanese media reports showed a crowd of people, including a woman with a baby on her back, standing by huge cracks that had ripped through the pavement in Wajima.

 

The Meteorological Agency said in a nationally broadcast news conference that more major quakes could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.

Warnings elsewhere

Tsunami warnings were also issued for Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido and parts of North Korea and Russia. Russian officials issued a tsunami alert for the island of Sakhalin, warning areas across the island's west coast could be affected by the waves.

 

In South Korea, the country's weather agency urged residents in some eastern coastal towns to watch for possible changes in sea levels. The first tsunami to reach South Korea's coast was 67 centimetres (2.2 feet) but it may increase in size after the initial waves and may continue for more than 24 hours, the agency said.

 

South Korea's Gangwon province warned people to take precautions and evacuate to higher ground.

 

Separately, North Korea issued tsunami warnings for its coast of possible waves of more than two metres, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing the North's state radio.

This house collapsed in Wajima during the earthquake. (Kyodo/Reuters)

The Japanese government has set up a special emergency centre to gather information on the quakes and tsunami and relay them speedily to residents to ensure safety, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.

 

He reiterated the warning for immediate evacuation in affected areas.

 

Japan is an extremely quake-prone nation. In March 2011, a major quake and tsunami caused meltdowns at a nuclear plant.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/japan-earthquake-1.7072055

[Ghostsof1915]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67855990

 

 

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

From NHK:
 

Quote

LIVE: Japan lowers all tsunami warnings to advisories

32 min ago

 

A magnitude-7.6 earthquake has struck Ishikawa Prefecture, in central Japan. The country's meteorological agency has downgraded to advisories all tsunami warnings issued along the Sea of Japan. But the agency is calling on residents to stay on the alert as they say earthquakes of a similar intensity will remain a possibility for about a week.

The earthquake that struck Japan on the first day of the year has left at least four people dead in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The Meteorological Agency says it observed about 100 jolts in the region after the magnitude-7.6 quake.

Officials in Ishikawa's Wajima City say a fire broke out in the center of the city damaging more than 50 stores and houses on a street that hosts a morning market.

1,400 passengers in halted bullet train cars after quakes

Prime Minister Kishida orders SDF officials to the disaster-hit-areas by every means

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio told reporters shortly after 5 p.m. that he will spearhead disaster relief efforts.

Kishida said it will not be easy to send Self-Defense Forces to the disaster-hit areas because roads have been cut off. But he said victims who are trapped in buildings should be rescued as soon as possible as buildings are at risk of collapse.

He also said he had ordered officials to send necessities such as water, food, blankets, kerosene, gasoline and fuel oil by air or sea as it is the cold season now.

Weather officials say parts of Ishikawa Prefecture will have a severe cold on Tuesday morning, expecting as low as minus 2 degrees Celsius in Wajima City.

Reports of injuries and damage continue to come in. Fire departments and hospitals have told NHK that, as of 11 p.m. on Monday, multiple people were injured in the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, Fukui, Toyama and Gifu. Reports say they were hit by falling objects or suffered broken bones.

Authorities receive many calls of people who failed to escape from collapsed houses

Fire department officials in Ishikawa Prefecture's earthquake-hit area say they have received many reports of collapsed houses and calls for help from residents trapped underneath.

The fire department handles areas of cities of Wajima and Suzu, and the towns of Anamizu and Noto.

Officials are assessing the extent of the damage from the quake and carry out rescue operations. But they say they are overloaded by the number of people calling for help.

A Wajima City fire station says it has had more than 50 calls from people about houses that have collapsed. Some callers said those trapped under buildings were unconscious. One caller said an office building collapsed.

Fire, injuries reported in Ishikawa Prefecture after quake

An official at a hospital in Suzu City in the prefecture says people injured in the earthquake have been transported there.

Some doctors have been unable to reach the hospital as roads have been damaged. The official also says the hospital is operating with a spare generator as power has been cut.

Medical staff at another hospital in Wajima City have been treating patients in a parking area in the facility.

Ishikawa Prefecture Police officials have been gathering information on the damage caused by the magnitude 7.6 quake that hit central Japan on Monday afternoon.
　　
Authorities say reports of damage from the massive quake are still coming in.

Police in the city of Himi in Toyama Prefecture say they had received reports of cracks in roads at several locations as of 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

An official at the municipality of Oyabe, also in Toyama Prefecture, had received several reports of broken water pipes as of 4:35 p.m.

In areas where tsunami warnings have been issued, residents are evacuating and moving to higher ground.

Residents take refuge

Officials in Nomi City in Ishikawa Prefecture say that as of 5:30 p.m., about 100 people took refuge in the city hall's main building.

In Yamagata Prefecture, about 2,000 people have been evacuated to facilities such as local city offices.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company says about 33,000 households are without power in Ishikawa Prefecture. The number includes about 10,300 in Wajima City, 7,300 in Noto Town, and 7,100 in Suzu City.

Expert: Risk from strong tremors, tsunami continues

A professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo warns that strong tremors may continue and that poses a risk for buildings that have not collapsed in previous earthquakes.

Hirata Naoshi, who is an expert on the mechanism of earthquakes, says people who have evacuated should not return to their homes until the warnings are lifted.

Hirata says seismic activity has been very active in the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture since around December 2020.

Hirata points out that there is a possibility that an extremely strong quake could occur, and that a powerful tsunami could follow.

Japan Meteorological Agency advises people to remain in safe areas

An official at the Japan Meteorological Agency said people in coastal areas and along rivers where tsunami warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate to safe places.

Shimoyama Toshihiro held a news conference at 6:10 p.m. He said tsunami waves will hit repeatedly, so people should stay in safe areas until the warnings are lifted.

He also said that in areas hit by strong tremors, there is an increasing risk of landslides and houses collapsing. He said that he wants people to stay on alert for future seismic activities as well as rainy conditions.

He said quakes with an intensity reaching the top of the scale of 7 are possible for about a week, and especially for the next two or three days.

Chief Cabinet Secretary: No abnormalities to nuclear plants reported

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said at a news conference shortly after 5 p.m. that no damage had been detected at nuclear power plants.

A major tsunami warning has been issued for Ishikawa Prefecture

The city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in central Japan, has observed tsunami of more than 1.2 meters at 4:21 p.m. on Monday following a major quake that hit the region. People in those areas must evacuate immediately.

The city of Toyama, in the neighboring Toyama Prefecture, also reported tsunami of 80 centimeters at 4:35 p.m.

The city of Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, has also observed tsunami of 40 centimeters at 4:36 p.m.

Tsunami have been reaching the Japan Sea coast. Tsunami will repeatedly hit the coast and may become higher.

A major tsunami warning has been issued for Ishikawa Prefecture after a massive magnitude-7.6 earthquake has struck the prefecture Monday evening.

An intensity of seven on the Japanese scale of 0 to seven was observed on the Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Tsunami warnings were also issued for Niigata, Toyama, Yamagata, Fukui and Hyogo prefectures, also along the Japan Sea coast.

Tsunami advisories have been issued for the remaining prefectures on the Japan Sea coast.

People in those areas must evacuate immediately. Stay on the alert and escape to higher ground and go as far away as possible from the coast.

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/2935/

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

Streaming live on their Youtube channel as I write this.

https://www.youtube.com/user/nhkworld

 

edit. never mind. they just took it down.

 

Edited January 1 by 6of1_halfdozenofother

[Cromeslab]

Crisis averted 

 

[madrigal77]

I'm in Osaka visiting family right now. Luckily we weren't affected here. Didn't feel a thing and far enough inland that there's nothing to worry about as far as tsunami. 

 

Looks like 30 dead now, which is a lot for sure, but just happy it's not another 2011. No danger to the nuclear plants. The one that would have been most at risk was shut down for maintenance at the time, luckily.

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

also posting to the OMG Earthquake thread:

 

Quote

Rescuers race against time in search for survivors in Japan after powerful quakes leave 73 dead

 

Firefighters search collapsed houses following earthquakes in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan left multiple people dead Wednesday, as rescue workers fought to save those feared trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.(Kyodo News via AP)

   

By Hiro Komae, Richard Colombo And Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press

Posted January 2, 2024 9:24 pm.

 

Japanese rescue workers and canine units searched urgently through rubble Wednesday ahead of predicted bitter cold and heavy rain in what the prime minister called a race against time after powerful earthquakes killed at least 73 people in western Japan.

 

Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas were shaken by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock on Wednesday — one of dozens that have followed Monday’s magnitude 7.6 temblor centered near Noto, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Tokyo on the opposite coast. The quake set off tsunami warnings, followed by waves measuring more than 1 meter (3 feet) in some places.

 

The first 72 hours are especially critical for rescues, experts say, because the prospects for survival greatly diminish after that.

 

“More than 40 hours have passed. This is a race against time, and I feel that we are at a critical moment,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. “We have received reports many people are still waiting for rescue under collapsed buildings.”

 

The narrow Noto Peninsula has added to the challenges in reaching some communities. Water, power and cellphone service were still down in some areas.

 

Naomi Gonno says she and her children got out of their house just as it came crashing down.

 

But her children were screaming “Granma,” and Gonno saw that her mother was trapped under the smashed house, with only her hand visible. She was able to squeeze her way out through a tiny space, Gonno said.

 

“I can’t believe we’re still alive,” she said. “We are living in fear.”

 

Relief officials handed out water, blankets, food and other supplies. Search dogs joined military personnel and firefighters trying to find dozens of people who are thought to be trapped, although the exact number is unclear.

 

Weather forecasts warned of heavy rain in Ishikawa, leading to worries about landslides and further damage to half-crumbled homes. Temperatures were expected to drop to around 4 C (39 F) overnight.

 

Of the deaths, 39 were counted in Wajima city, while 23 people died in Suzu, according to Ishikawa prefectural authorities. The other deaths were reported in five neighboring towns. Although there has been no official number of missing, dozens are believed trapped under collapsed buildings.

 

More than 300 people have been injured, at least 25 of them seriously.

 

Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase encouraged everyone to use masks, antiseptic and soap to guard against the spread of infectious diseases as evacuees shelter together. Ensuring adequate water supplies and toilets for those who were displaced is a priority, he said.

 

Nearly 33,000 people are staying at evacuation centers, and some said they were hungry and cold, unable to sleep and afraid.

 

When Monday’s quake hit, Yasuo Kobatake ran out of his house with just one sock on. The shaking threw him to the ground, and a concrete wall came crashing down, barely missing him, he said.

 

He was eating only rice balls and a few sips of water in paper cups at the elementary school where he and others were sheltering. They slept on cushions, with no blankets.

 

“It was so cold. I thought I’d freeze to death,” he said.

 

In the aftermath of the quakes and tsunami, boats lay overturned in the sea, roads were blocked by mounds of dirt, and pillars and walls lay scattered from flattened homes. A large fire turned an entire section of Wajima city into ashes.

 

Officials warned that more major quakes could follow.

 

Japan is prone to earthquakes, with many fault lines and volcanoes. A massive quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in 2011 caused widespread damage in northeastern Japan.

 

No major problems were reported at nuclear plants after Monday’s quake. The Shika nuclear plant in Ishikawa suffered a partial electricity failure, but backup power kicked in, ensuring the critical cooling process continued.

 

Japan is an organized, conformist and relatively crime-free society where warnings are systematically relayed as a public service. Disaster experts say that’s helping save lives.

 

Takako Izumi, a disaster science professor at Tohoku University, said time is needed to figure out logistics because roads are often blocked after an earthquake, and large trucks can’t get through to deliver aid.

 

If land routes aren’t accessible, aid may have to be dropped from the sky or brought in by boat. The winter cold adds to health risks, and some people may still have not reached an evacuation center, she added.

 

“We need to accurately assess the damage first. And then a proper response can come, and what’s needed can reach the right places,” Izumi said.

 

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/01/02/japan-earthquakes-death-toll/

[Sabrefan1]