7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Japan, Tsunami Alert Issued

TOKYO -- A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has hit northern Japan, prompting the country's meteorological agency to issue a tsunami alert for the northeastern coast.

It warns that a tsunami of about 20 inches (50 centimeters) will hit the coast around noon Wednesday.

Comments

[Ajay Nishad]

01:58 AM on 03/09/2011

An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude has struck off the coast of Japan, shaking buildings in the capital,
Click here to full view : http://bit.ly/eaRIri

[Ajay Nishad]

01:50 AM on 03/09/2011

Full View at this link : http://bit.ly/fjD51u
An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude has struck off the coast of Japan, shaking buildings in the capital, Tokyo, and triggering a small tsunami.

[blackwind]

01:09 AM on 03/09/2011

So, what's with the tsunami prediction? Other sources say the tsunami came and went a half hour or so after the quake, while this story says it will be some time tomorrow. The version that has it already over sounds a lot better to me.

[Gatorboy]

12:59 AM on 03/09/2011

There's a northern city named Hamatonbetsu that has a great live streaming webcam that I like to frequent on Google Maps. It gives you a fantastic 360 view of the entire city (it can be manually controlled by the viewer).
I noticed though that it's down which it never is and that the timecode on the last image shot is 14:18:21. Is that close to the time this earthquake was announced?

[bad mr kitty]

12:41 AM on 03/09/2011

Isn't anyone concerned that Gojira, Mosura or Kingu Gidora may be disturbed and wreak havoc on Japan?

[BigSlick674]

01:01 AM on 03/09/2011

Somebody kick the cat

[bad mr kitty]

01:11 AM on 03/09/2011

You must be a Rodan fan

[nicenissey]

02:28 AM on 03/09/2011

We gave them a good dose of tranquilizer, so no worries.

[WaimeaWidow]

12:40 AM on 03/09/2011

The 'Ring of Fire' has been very active lately ... it's getting a little nerve-wracking here in the middle of the ocean. But, it's still better than having a GOP governor.

[JustaSlob]

12:56 AM on 03/09/2011

( super deep voice ) "And it burns burns burns......"....sorry.

[BigSlick674]

01:02 AM on 03/09/2011

Mahalo Nui

[LeftCoastLarry]

12:32 AM on 03/09/2011

More:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usb0001r57.php

[tucsoncindy]

12:39 AM on 03/09/2011

thanks larry

[kathye]

12:31 AM on 03/09/2011

Hey, I just heard Donald Rumsfield on Piers Morgan saying that we knew that it was Al Qaeda when the second plane hit on 9/11. Were we not all aware that day. How can Donald Rumsfield lie.
Of course there has never been an investigation of the 9/11 attack.

[Bek359]

12:33 AM on 03/09/2011

What does this have to do with earthquakes in Japan?

[cmr86]

12:26 AM on 03/09/2011

A tsunami of 20 inches? Really? That's what they call a tsunami?

[Concerned Citizen in CA]

12:31 AM on 03/09/2011

The tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004 was "only" 24 inches. Still think it can't do much damage?

[Gatorboy]

01:11 AM on 03/09/2011

Now see, I'm glad you mentioned this. Cmr's post is a great example of what's wrong with conservatives. Their thinking is too cartoonish. They hear tsunami and they start to visualize images of from "2012". An educated individual would realize that even two feet of water is just as destructive when it has enough force behind it.

[nicenissey]

02:30 AM on 03/09/2011

A tsunami is a tidal wave caused by movement under the sea floors. It doesn't have to be of monstrous proportions to be called a tsunami.

[Wendy Zimmerman]

12:24 AM on 03/09/2011

I lived in Northeastern Japan at the military base there for 3 years, earthquakes are not rare, we had them and tremors all the time. What is freaky is the buildings on rollers, when you are 8 stories high and the building is swaying from side to side, you tend to get nervous.

[CANTHATBE]

12:32 AM on 03/09/2011

It looks normal from the pictures. It looks like a normal afternoon from some of the web videos. I wish I new some Japanese. Looks like a nuclear power plant is near there but everything looks fine.

[Concerned Citizen in CA]

12:38 AM on 03/09/2011

The story from the Sydney Herald reported that the nuclear power was undamaged and is still operational. The story also said that earthquakes of this magnitude happen every year of two in the area, so the people are well prepared for them, and their buildings are built to withstand the shocks.

[HawaiiShira]

12:23 AM on 03/09/2011

Japan, unlike most of the US, is prepared for earthquakes. Their building codes are stringent, and buildings there must be able to withstand a sizable jolt. We should learn from them, but I fear we are way too late. Our calamity is about to befall us.

[mousse69]

12:21 AM on 03/09/2011

Im in niigata right now and the quake was just a little shiver. My co-workers barely noticed it and then went on to the subject of lunch. My girl, however, freaked out.

[Asmodeus]

12:17 AM on 03/09/2011

What is this? Where is the pertinent information here? Great. There was a 7.2 earthquake in Northern Japan. That's pretty big. What are the nearest population centers? What were the earthquake's effects on them, if any? Why am I having to ask these questions?

[Concerned Citizen in CA]

12:35 AM on 03/09/2011

This was a breaking news story, so facts are going to be lacking. Please read the posts below, as many of the posters here have relatives or friends in Japan and have done follow up research, and posted it before the news story could be updated.

[Issa]

12:15 AM on 03/09/2011

GODZILLA!