Japan Earthquake
 

Just been watching the reports on the BBC breakfast news of the quake off the coast of North East Japan registering 8.9. Apparently, it was followed by a tsunami which has caused widespread flooding along the coast. From the video footage it looks pretty bad. The quake was felt quite strongly in Tokyo some 250 miles away but there does not seem to have been much damage caused there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598

Apparently the Tsunami warning has been now been extended to the rest of the pacific basin inc,Australia, South America Russia. More aerial video footage is now being shown and it really does look bad with large buildings and ships etc. being swept across farmland

We are on Kauai and the Tsunami warnings sirens have sounded.

Keep safe Kathie

My thoughts are with all Fodorites in Japan and in the tsunami zone.

Absolutely terrifying.

Kathie, stay safe. Our thoughts are with you.The news has just said it is expected to hit Hawaii in 4 hours from now.

I have some friends in Kobe at the moment and just got a call from them and luckily the quake was only a 3.3 there and no major damage.

Kathie stay safe! Hawaii is use to Tsunami so I hope that they are well prepared.

Wow - I had no idea about this as I haven't turned the TV on for a couple of days. Thoughts with everyone in the area.

Live news from the BBC on this link.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

My prayers are with the suffering and their families.

With the recent destruction of Chirstchurch by earthquake

things around the pacific rim of fire seem quite unsettled.

Volcano also erupting in Indonesia...

Best wishes to all affected for good health and a speedy return to normalcy.

Dang and Obama did nothing to stop it either. He was awakened at 0400 and told of the earthquake, didn't prevent that, and then neglected to prevent the tsunami. So irresponsible. At least McCain and Sarah, or Old Ron and Nancy in past days would have claimed to have prayed for or against something.

I don't know what the point is of the prior post, but this is really not a time to be trite or try to make lame jokes.

Watch this video and then see if you want to make stupid political jokes about it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...arthquake.html

kathie, take care. still waiting for report on size of the wave hitting kauai. wave expected here in honolulu in about half an hour.

what tragedy in japan. terrible.

The US Dept. of State just issued the following travel warning:

Japan

March 11, 2011

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the situation in Japan in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake, measuring 8.9 magnitude, that struck northern Japan on March 11. U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Japan at this time. This Travel Alert expires on April 1, 2011.

The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Japan at this time. Tokyo airports are currently closed; other airports in Japan may be closed or have restricted access. Public transportation, including trains and subways are closed in the Tokyo area, and service has been interrupted in other areas. Many roads have been damaged in the Tokyo area and in northern Japan.

Strong aftershocks are likely for weeks following a strong earthquake such as this one. The American Red Cross recommends that in the event of aftershocks, persons should move to open spaces away from walls, windows, buildings, and other structures that may collapse, and should be alert to the danger of falling debris. If you are indoors, DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON: If possible, seek cover under a sturdy desk or table, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If there is no table or desk nearby, sit on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you. Avoid damaged buildings and downed power lines. Great care should be used with matches, lighters, candles, or any open flame due to the possibility of disrupted gas lines.

U.S. citizens currently in Japan should contact family and friends in the United States to confirm their well-being at the earliest opportunity. Where internet and telephone services are not available, it may be possible to contact people using SMS (Cell text message) or other forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook. U.S. citizens may contact the Department of State at [email protected] and the emergency contact numbers below.

U.S. citizens in Japan are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at the following website:

https://travelregistration.state.gov. U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulates. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy/Consulates to contact them in case of emergency.

Updated information on travel and security in Japan may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Bahrain, as well as the Worldwide Caution, which can be found at www.travel.state.gov.

Stay safe, Ken.

Glad you're not in Tokyo, Kathie! Keep us updated and stay safe!

To our friends all over the Pacific Rim...

<b>TSUNAMI WARNING!</b>

This is serious business. Get away from the water if you see the tide receding abnormally. Stay safe!

My thoughts and prayers are with Japan. We were in Tokyo on Monday! Prior to that we had been in Christchurch just 2 weeks before the quake struck there. I feel incredibly lucky.

Please stay safe and follow instructions if you are in the earthquKe or tsunami zone.

kathie, send cheryl outside to check things out and be safe and sound... certainly if HI got hit it would be Hono first..

I have a friend (ex-co-worker) whose father was in Tokyo doing some consulting work when the quake hit - they are still waiting to hear from him. The rest of his family is safe in their Tokyo suburb house. The brother is in a restauran, but was able to call in.

so far, kauai ok. damage being assessed on oahu, maui, and big island. no bus service. still no all clear signal.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people of Japan especially KimJapan and family. Recent pictures on the news show the horror and destruction which is still taking place. Aftershocks will go on for weeks if not months.....terrible.

No Bob, Kauai was hit before Oahu. Here in Hawaii the sun is just starting to come up. Have seen reports of 12 foot waves in Kona and Maui. A hotel in Kauai took in some water....more info still coming in as workers are assessing now that the sun is coming up. Water in front of Diamond Head was said to have receded over 100 yards before a seven foot wall of water came through. We are still experiencing waves for the next couple of hours.

Aloha!

My heart goes out to the people of Japan. Must be terrifying.

CNN had a live report from here in Seal Beach. The waves were calm 20 minutes after the tsunami was supposed to reach here and there were a couple of idiots in the water. The Navy ship at the small naval station went out to sea as a precaution. Got recorded tsunami warning phone calls just before 5AM - it said stay out of the water. There is no danger, but it is amazing that an earthquake in Japan had an effect on our little beach 5000 miles away. Can't imagine what it is like for the people in Tohoku.

Hi Everyone, thanks for your stories and good thoughts for all.

We've posted our latest update here: http://www.fodors.com/news/story_4475.html

Aloha everyone, we are safe and sound. We were evacuated from our beachfront hotel. The warning was lifted about 7:30, so we're back, tired and hungry, going to make some breakfast.

No signs of damage right where we are, but Hanalei got hit with some big waves, and sand was washed across the road not far from our hotel. The news reports indicate that Maui and the big island both got hit harder than Kauai.

I hope that KimJapan and all of our friends in Japan and all around the Pacific rim are safe.

The devastation in Japan looks just awful - our hearts are with those affected.

I have read several 1st hand reports from people FT as well as a FB friend of mine. Conclusion - NRT is a mess, and if you don't have to fly into Tokyo immediately, change to a later date. All airlines are allowing free change for travel to Tokyo or eastern Japan right now. Change it, since NRT is overflown with passengers stranded there - for those waiting to leave Japan, as well as those who arrived before the quake and weren't able to get into town.

In case you have plans to head to Japan soon (we are scheduled to leave Sat. March 18), you also might want to check out the TripAdvisor Japan forum (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...525-Japan.html).

There are more people there on the ground in Tokyo giving updates. Of course now it is 4am in the morning but I suspect more updates will come in a few hours. Basically, reports are that the biggest issues in Tokyo are the airport and that all the trains stopped so people are stranded, though did hear that Ginza train line should be starting soon.

Things further south in Kobe/Kyoto/Osaka area appear to be business as usual.

Oops! I guess that would be further west (not so much south).

Glad to hear that you are O.K., Kathie.
Enjoy your breakfast.
Yes, the devastation in Japan is really awful. Beyond comprehension.
Just awful!

Just Devastating. The awesome power of nature makes one realize how powerless we are. Sending thoughts and prayers to the thousands affected by this terrible disaster.
Our daughter lived and worked in Japan for two years and we were at Narita for several hours just a couple of weeks ago. It's hard to imagine the chaos and mayhem that must be engulfing this once calm and peaceful area.

And, merckxxx, I hope you never post here again. How could anyone make such flippant remarks in the face of such a disaster?

A little more info for the travelers who have Japan on their radar in the near future:

http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0018.html

merckxxx, just goes to show what outright hate and bigotry can do to your online personality. You don't even realize what you did wrong do you?

Aloha!

kuranosuke, hope your keiki and mo'opuna are ok in Japan.

Aloha!

What a sad and horrible sight. God bless all of the visitors and people of Japan.Does anybody know if Mita was hit by the tsunami and tremors?

Unbelievable pix on BBC. KimJapan - are you OK????

Japan was so immaculate when I was there just a few months ago. So many earthquakes there throughout history, but they're saying this was the worst ever.

What a disaster. Local news showing horrific tsunami footage, a nuclear emergency, multiple fires...and unfortunately a rising death toll.

Kanazawa is fine, as are we. Supposedly we could feel yesterday's quake bit somehow missed it. Did feel one at 4:00 am this morning though, unrelated to yesterday's. Earthquake info center's data shows list of seismic activity throughout the country. Hoping the worst has finished.

I'm so glad to hear you are ok, Kim.

Heart-wrenching scenes on the dubbed-in-English NHK news that is shown here (Boston). Untold numbers of homes washed away, cities in flames, desperate survivors on rooftops of tall buildings. One aches for the people of Japan.

Right. Everything was so clean and organized on our recent trip. I hope the Japanese people can restore the country to the way it was.The pictures in Narita in the Delta lounge on CNN looked bad enough. The skycrapers in Tokyo must have shken a lot although we were told they were built to withstand earthquakes.I cannot imagine the North.They claim there was a 10 to 15 minute warning. Was that enough time for the residents to escape the Tsunamis force? I pray so.

Scarlett, don't you have a son in Japan? Hope he is ok/