While I was sleeping.

[zolac_no_miko]

Magnitude 8.9 earthquake in Japan, bad tsunami waves there. It's 5 a.m. in Portland, and the waves are supposed to hit Hawaii in one hour? Two hours? I'm getting mixed reports. I can't find any predictions of wave height. Evacuation is well underway and my family is not coastal, but I'm nervous obviously. Wave will hit West Coast later.

Wish I knew more.

EDIT: Biggest earthquake in Japan in recorded history. Death toll 60, 56 missing, numbers still rising. Oh god you guys.

EDIT: Guam reported no waves an hour after expected. Still within possible window, but... maybe it will be okay? ...Japan is not okay.

EDIT: There's some kind of problem with a nuclear reactor in Japan that was damaged in the quake? ...Fuck, I have to get ready for work, but.... DDDDD:

EDIT: Oh good, Dar woke up and says she can take me to work. Looks like no big waves in Marianas, 2.5 feet in Saipan, 1.5 feet Wake Island, 8.2 feet Midway, biggest waves in Hawaii could be more than 6 feet; biggest waves expected in Haleiwa and Hilo. Of course. Thank you Hilo Bay and your damn tsunami magnifier. First waves have hit Kaua'i and O'ahu, not too bad yet, 1.5 feet at Nawiliwili Harbor and rising, surge apparent from Diamond Head cameras. First waves are not always the worst, so we'll see. ...Some people were refusing to evacuate, wtf.

EDIT: Death toll in Japan now 200-300. Jesus fuck.

EDIT: First wave in Hawaii 3 feet. Not bad. So far. Could get bigger.

EDIT: Listening to NPR at work. 6 foot waves reported in Hawaii. Waves up to 5 feet in Aleutians, no reported damage. Over 300 dead in Japan, people still missing.

EDIT: Surges of more than 7 feet in Kahului Harbor, yikes. The gauge at Nawiliwili Harbor showed a 2.1 foot surge; Haleiwa recorded a 3.6 foot surge; and Hanalei recorded 2.8 feet. The weather service says a gauge at Hilo Harbor showed a 2-foot surge. Kawaihae saw a 2.8 foot increase. No damage reports have been received yet, but damage is expected in Kahului, obviously. The all clear will not be given until dawn.

EDIT: Over 400 dead in Japan, hundreds injured or missing. The wave was 23 feet high and surged several miles inland. Fires are still burning out of control in Kessennuma and other towns. Seems like they might have that nuclear power plant situation under control... the plant in question lost some cooling water and remained hot when the others shut down automatically; they've evacuated 1000 people from the immediate vicinity, but so far there have been no radiation leaks. Senator Inouye's wife was in Tokyo, she's fine. Tokyo's pretty much fine, although there are some fires and some people were injured in structural collapses. Oregon coast is seeing surges up to the high tide mark; there's still time for bigger waves.

EDIT: The streets of Tokyo are packed with people stranded in the city and trying to walk home as all of the trains had shut down. Some trains are starting up again.

Comments

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Be safe, bb, and keep in touch.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

I'll be fine personally, Portland's not coastal. Thank you.

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

Fuck. Lou's still over in Japan.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

She's in Tokyo, right? I heard of a roof collapse near the Diet building, and a bad fire at a steel plant near Tokyo, but Tokyo otherwise seems not as bad off as parts further north. I've heard from a friend in Tokyo and also an interview with a reporter there on NPR. Public transportation is shut down, lines of communication are pretty clogged.

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

I don't think she is. She used to be in a really rural area right next to the ocean or something because I remember her telling me how she used to take the ferry to and from work each morning.

She moved last year, but I'm not sure to where because that's when we both got super busy and hadn't been keeping in touch as much. So.

I e-mailed her. I gave her my phone number. I don't even know if I can get international calls on my shitty phone, but those are the only two ways of contact we have right now.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Northeast coast got hit the worst. God, I hope she's okay. I've just emailed Fluffy. All fingers and toes crossed for both of them and my other friends in Japan.

[platoapproved.livejournal.com]

Fluffy is fine, or at least was when I IMed him at about 3 AM last night.

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, thank you so much. I didn't think he was likely to be in trouble since he's not located near the worst of the disaster, but it's a relief to have confirmation.

[drownedcities.livejournal.com]

I really want to say that she was more south.

Saw Becca's comment and your new post, and I'm glad that both Fluffy and your mom are okay.

Thank you for keeping updates on your post. After being at work for three hours, I appreciate that someone is taking this seriously. I had a coworker bitch to me that she may not go to the beach today and all I could think was, "Seriously? You are seriously that selfish?"

[zolac-no-miko.livejournal.com]

Thanks, you're welcome, and fingers still crossed for Lou. And wow, what a bitch!

Forthcoming update on my new post, when I can get to it. In theory I'm supposed to be working, haha.

[magusronin.livejournal.com]

I'll confirm Fluffy is alright as well. I was chatting with him almost immediately after the tsunami hit his area. Basically no significant impact on his part of Japan from the earthquake or the waves, northern Japan is another matter entirely.

The quake has now been confirmed as the fifth-largest earthquake in recorded history. That the death toll is still as low as it is, is testament to the preparedness of the Japanese people. My thoughts are with them.