# Large earthquake in Northeast Japan **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279 "2011-03-11T06:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/61 "2011-03-11T10:29:48Z")
Holy crap. I’ve heard now of at least 3 TOWNS that are gone. Whole cities just wiped off the map. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/62 "2011-03-11T10:43:55Z")
Tsunami warnings have been issued for the west coast of the US; has anyone heard when it might reach us here or in Hawaii or Phillipines? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/63 "2011-03-11T10:45:39Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Tsunami warnings have been issued for the west coast of the US; has anyone heard when it might reach us here or in Hawaii or Portugal? I read just after 3am local time in Hawaii. Not sure what you mean by Portugal, the only one I know is well away from the Pacific! The four nuclear power plants have been shut down safely, apparently. Here is a link to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: [U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers](http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/64 "2011-03-11T10:48:39Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I read just after 3am local time in Hawaii. Not sure what you mean by Portugal, the only one I know is well away from the Pacific! > > The four nuclear power plants have been shut down safely, apparently. > > Here is a link to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center: [U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers](http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/) Yeah I just found the 3am time, which is in about 12 minutes. And I meant “Phillippines”; it’s late and I’m tired but I can’t sleep and watch this all happen, so I’m still awake. Nice catch, eh. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/65 "2011-03-11T10:55:44Z")
Holy sh\*t, looking on the videos online, this is horrible. NHK is reporting that all trains are stopped in Tokyo, and won’t be running today. I’m still on the bus, but am thinking about getting off and walking the remaining distance. We’re picking up more people as they get tired of walking. The sidewalks are getting less crowded this far out. The people fortunate enough to have motorcycles are the only ones making good time. There have some “Support Stations” with water and rest rooms for people having to walk home. It looks like things are picking up some, so I may just take the bus. With Grandma watching the kids, I don’t have to be back immediately. People are boarding the bus with print out of Google maps, showing how to get home. Others have ipads or iphones with their current location. This bus only goes out a certain distance, and then people will have to walk home from there, which could be hours for them. We live in close enough that the bus goes to our place. My stop next. Finally. I still can’t get phone call though. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/66 "2011-03-11T11:09:02Z")
My God, this is horrifying. We’re glued to the footage here, and once again find ourselves thinking and hoping for the best for so many people who are living through a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Hokkaido\_Brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Hokkaido\_Brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokkaido_Brit)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/67 "2011-03-11T11:09:27Z")
I’m OK. I’d like to hear from Autolycus, too. I’m far away in Hokkaido but it was still a 4 here and the cars, trees, telegraph poles and the ground under my feet were swaying. I was outside greeting kids and mums as they arrived for class, and the little ones all were crying in terror. We went inside but then the aftershocks continued. We couldn’t get out fast enough for me to feel safe, (I have a small entryway and there were 15 of us with babies and mums plus six kids and me) so I cancelled classes for the day and sent everyone home. I have friends and my husband has family in the afflicted area but right now cell phones and the regular network are highly unreliable/unusable, so I have no idea how they are doing. A friend’s husband was in the coastal area where the big tsunami waves struck, and we don’t know where he is now. This is really a horrible disaster. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/68 "2011-03-11T11:14:38Z")
I came here as soon as I heard the news, to check on all the Dopers in Japan. Autolycus was one of the names I wanted to hear from the most. I’m hoping he’s just without power and will be here to tell us all about it soon. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/69 "2011-03-11T11:17:15Z")
Well, I tried watching the coverage on MSNBC, but Morning Joke was living up to its usual standards of having six people trying to find a way to use this to blame Obama. So it’s back to the Al Jazeera live stream. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/70 "2011-03-11T11:20:41Z")
On NPR, the reporter called this “the largest earthquake in Japanese history.” That sort of makes you gasp. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/71 "2011-03-11T11:21:32Z")
**Autolycus** was last here on the boards at 2.45pm today Japan time…does anybody know exactly what time the quake hit? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/72 "2011-03-11T11:24:59Z")
I’m so glad you’re ok. The videos of the wave moving in are chilling. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/73 "2011-03-11T11:30:57Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > **Autolycus** was last here on the boards at 2.45pm today Japan time…does anybody know exactly what time the quake hit? 14.45 Japan time. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/74 "2011-03-11T11:32:47Z")
Google itself has updated the tsunami alert for: New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii and all the smaller islands in between. Oh shit. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/75 "2011-03-11T11:33:50Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > 14.45 Japan time. ☹ Fuck. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/76 "2011-03-11T11:36:40Z")
> [@Hokkaido\_Brit](#): > > I’m OK. Very glad to hear that - you were my first thought. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/77 "2011-03-11T11:44:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > They’re saying now that there’s damage to 4 nuclear power plants and smoke coming from at least one of them from the building that houses the turbine. Jesús María :eek: > [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > On NPR, the reporter called this “the largest earthquake in Japanese history.” That sort of makes you gasp. And more :eek: I hereby propose that we stop trying to break the Pacific Basin. Oh. No, I don’t know how to do that, wish I did… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/78 "2011-03-11T11:51:24Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Yeah I just found the 3am time, which is in about 12 minutes. No, it’s only 1.50am now in Hawaii. The predicted time of arrival is 13:07UTC which is an hour and a quarter from now. > **[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#Present_alert_status)** > > On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 JST (05:46:24 UTC), a Mw 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approximately six minutes and caused a tsunami. It is sometimes known in Japan as the "Great East Japan Earthquake" (東日本大震災, Higashi Nihon Daishinsai), among other names.\[en 1\] The disaster is often referred to by its numerical date, 3.11 (read San ten Ichi-ichi in Japanese). > It was the most powe... According to that, the first wave is due to strike Nauru shortly. However it seems the predicted wave passed the Marshall Islands without serious incident, so perhaps damage to islands will not be as severe as feared? I hope **Autloycus** is safe. He was online when it struck. Presumably power is off now, but from what I have seen and heard, buildings have stood up to the quake pretty well - it’s the tsunami that is doing the damage. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/79 "2011-03-11T11:54:06Z")
> [@TokyoPlayer](#): > > A Starbucks was passing out coffee and cookie bits, so I took a short break there and chatted with a couple of Americans who had no idea how long it was going to take to to get back to their hotel tonight. The sidewalks were jammed so I mostly walked in the street. I feel a little silly saying this, but the bit about Starbucks passing out coffee and cookie bits choked me up a bit. I dunno, people helping each other in hard times gets me I guess. Anyhow, haven’t heard much about this from AFN or official channels here in Korea. My understanding is that we’re safe from Tsunamis because Japan was between us and the earthquake. Trying to touch base with friends in Japan and Hawaii, but I don’t talk to most of them on a regular basis. I didn’t even know anything had happened until I got home from work around 7PM here. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279/80 "2011-03-11T11:55:03Z")
I know I’m an economic Luddite, but it’s still distressing when you try to google news of the devastation in Japan and the first stories that come up are about how the ‘markets’ are reeling. Fer’ fuck’s sake. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-earthquake-in-northeast-japan/574279.md?page=5)