# Major Earthquake hits Taiwan **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765 "2024-04-03T02:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/1 "2024-04-03T02:48:29Z")
> **[Live updates: 7.4-magnitude quake near Taiwan's coast sparks tsunami warnings](https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/taiwan-earthquake-hualien-tsunami-warning-hnk-intl/index.html)** > > A tsunami warning has been issued in Taiwan following an earthquake that struck Wednesday morning, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration. Follow here for the latest live news updates. I hope all Dopers in the area are OK. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/2 "2024-04-03T02:50:05Z")
Tsunami warnings have also reached some of the Okinawa islands in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/3 "2024-04-03T13:17:28Z")
The “[Ring of Fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire)” strikes again. Millions of people live in this, the most geologically active area of our planet. It’s surprising that more people haven’t been killed from earthquakes and volcanoes on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/4 "2024-04-03T13:22:41Z")
[Viral Video: Man Remains Calm In Swimming Pool Amid Taiwan Quake (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/viral-video-man-remains-calm-in-swimming-pool-amid-taiwan-quake/ar-BB1kZxMf) some videos from taiwan. seriously strong quake. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/5 "2024-04-03T13:42:49Z")
So, was there a tsunami? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/6 "2024-04-03T14:04:26Z")
None of the monitoring systems seem to have issued a firm warning. Everything I’ve seen, from both the US and Japanese tsunami warning centers, still speak of “possible”. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/7 "2024-04-03T16:59:16Z")
Yes, but it was “Spinal Tap” - sized. Reported to be around 11 inches (" not ') in Japan. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/8 "2024-04-04T09:05:47Z")
Fortunately, my wife’s family and our friends are all right. The epicenter was near Hualien, one of the most beautiful locations in Taiwan. We lived in Yilan, to the north of there. There are a couple of ways to Hualien, including the famous / infamous [Suhua Highway](https://taiwaneverything.cc/2019/07/12/suhua-highway/). > [@](#): > > _Asked to name the most scenic road in all of Taiwan, most locals and long-term expats will say “the Suhua Highway.” Loved by tourists for its sheer beauty, and dreaded in almost equal measure for its unpredictable conditions (rockfalls) and – at times – annoying users (gravel-truck drivers, especially), the road is a must-do for any road-trip aficionado who is looking for the best routes on the island._ In the last few years, they have opened some new routes, including long tunnels. Unfortunately, these are the tunnels that many people have gotten trapped into. My son’s former class is scheduled to have a week-long bike ride what was scheduled to go through the area. After questions if the trek were going to be post posted or cancelled, it was decided to go ahead with alternative routes as necessary. My son and wife are participating and they left today to return to Taiwan. There is an island off the coast of Yilan called Turtle Island for the obvious resemblance. [![](https://www.justaiwantour.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/6070537.jpg) ](https://www.justaiwantour.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/6070537.jpg) Part of the cliff that forms the head has fallen down, although fortunately it still retains the turtle shape. [![](https://cc.tvbs.com.tw/img/upload/2024/04/03/20240403084011-ab978c56.jpg) ](https://cc.tvbs.com.tw/img/upload/2024/04/03/20240403084011-ab978c56.jpg) Reports say that three of the people who died were climbing in the beautiful [Taroko Gorge](https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/taiwan-taroko-marble-gorge/index.html), with its acrophobia-inducing trails wandering along the face of cliffs. > [@](#): > > With soaring cliffs, plunging canyons and a base of colossal marble slabs spliced by a torrential river, Taroko Gorge is one of the most popular [travel](http://www.cnn.com/travel) attractions on the island of [Taiwan](http://www.cnn.com/travel/destinations/taiwan). Fortunately, the resulting tsunami wasn’t that high and caused no damage or injury. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-taiwan/999765/9 "2024-04-04T12:50:48Z")
I was in Taiwan during the 1999 quake, which killed 2,400 (but also was about one-third stronger, I believe.) That one led to further changes in building codes; so it looks much better in comparison now that this quake will lead to a far smaller casualty toll. One factor in some previous building issues in Taiwan was that when the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) retreated from China to Taiwan, they didn’t intend to remain in Taiwan long, so some buildings were shoddily erected. Not sure if that was a factor here, but it looks not.