Japan 8.1 earthquake - Tsunami N. BC and Alaska?

Breaking News in Canoe: Ouch ... thats a BIG earthquake ... 8.1

Tsunami watch issued for parts of Alaska and B.C. north coast

VICTORIA (CP) - British Columbia and the U.S. West Coast are expected to be spared the effects of a major earthquake northeast of Tokyo.

The Provincial Emergency Program in Victoria says a tsunami warning is in effect for the Alaska coastal areas from Dutch Harbor to Attu.

However, a tsunami watch is in effect for the B.C. and Alaska coastal areas from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to Dutch Harbor.

The watch does not include other areas of B.C., Washington, Oregon and California.

PEP says it's not known if a tsunami exists.

But it says people living in low-lying coastal areas should be alert for instructions from local emergency officials

Japan issues tsunami warning after massive 8.1 magnitude quake

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning Wednesday and told the country's Pacific coast residents to flee to higher ground after a powerful earthquake hit hundreds of kilometres away.

A tsunami about two metres tall or higher was expected to hit the Pacific coast of Japan's northern-most island of Hokkaido and main island of Honshu sometime after 9:10 p.m. (7:10 a.m. EST), the agency said.

By 9:40 p.m., live video from Nemuro, a port on Hokkaido, showed calm seas. There were no immediate reports of any tsunami on the island.

An official from the town of Shibetsu on Hokkaido, Kiyoshi Takimoto, told public broadcaster NHK that about 4,000 of the town's 6,100 residents lived along the coast and had been told to flee to higher ground.

Takimoto said he didn't notice the quake. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according to NHK.

In the city of Kushiro, fire department and municipal officials were urging residents to move to safety, city official Masatoshi Sato said.

Keiichi Kimura, a Hokkaido Prefectural police officer, said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake. Railway officials ordered local trains on Hokkaido to stop at nearby stations as a precautionary step, NHK said.

A tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, where the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a destructive wave.

Cindy Preller, an official with the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, said no tsunami was expected to hit the West Coast of North or South America. She said there was a slight chance one could hit the western Aleutian Islands.

The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 8.1, struck at 6:15 a.m. about 395 kilometres east of the Etorofu Island, about 1,600 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, the Japanese meteorological agency said.

Etorofu is one of four islands claimed by both Japan and Russia. It is known in Russia as Iturup Island.

The islands were occupied by the Soviet Union in the closing days of the Second World War. The island chain is known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

They are surrounded by rich fishing waters and are believed to have promising offshore oil and natural gas reserves. They also have gold and silver deposits. But the population has plummeted to just 9,900, according to official statistics.

A Russian official said a powerful earthquake had struck the Kuril Islands area and there was no immediate word of damage or casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported on its website that a 7.8-magnitude quake had been detected 440 kilometres east-northeast of the Kurils at a depth of 27.7 kilometres. Tremors of magnitude 7.0 are generally classified as major earthquakes, capable of widespread, heavy damage.

A magnitude 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004 caused a tsunami that killed at least 213,000 people in 11 countries. Those waves reached as high as 10 metres.

Tsunami waves, which are generated by earthquakes, are often barely noticeable in the ocean but can rise to great heights once they reach shallow waters near the shore.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because it sits atop four tectonic plates.

[Keith Webb]

Here's the latest I could find:

Small tsunami waves hit Japan after 8.1 earthquake offshore
By Hiroko Tabuchi
The Associated Press
TOKYO – A powerful undersea earthquake prompted tsunami warnings today for Japan, Russia and Alaska, but the danger appeared to pass after a series of tiny waves hit the northern Japanese coast.

Several thousand people fled to higher ground on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido. The waves, however, did not swell higher than 16 inches and rapidly diminished in size, and Japan's meteorological agency later withdrew its tsunami warning after about three hours, although it urged continued caution.

A tsunami warning posted for coastal areas of Alaska was later canceled, as were watches for the northern tip of British Columbia and precautionary advisories for the states of Washington, Oregon and California. A watch was in effect for Hawaii.

The agency told Japanese coastal residents to flee to higher ground after initially predicting that a 61/2-foot tsunami would hit the Pacific coast of its northernmost island of Hokkaido and main island of Honshu after 9:10 p.m. (4:10 a.m. PST).

A wave that hit the port of Nemuro on Hokkaido at 9:29 p.m. was measured at 16 inches, and live video from the area showed calm seas. A few minutes later, a second, 8-inch wave hit the nearby port of Kushiro, the agency said, and the waves got progressively smaller.

The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said a 7.8-inch wave hit Shemya Island and a 3-inch wave hit Amchitka Island in the Aleutian chain.

Source

Sounds good so far ... I keep wondering about aftershocks doing mischief to come though, after such a big one. Aren't there usually powerful aftershocks following a big one?

Even 16 inch waves could fill and mess up peoples houses/basements/belongings etc. I tell ya, I love the ocean but after hearing about all the tsunamies and tidal waves the last few years I wouldn't want to buy or build a house and live where the ocean could get at my place and me A commute to visit the seaside works for me

I hope the 8.1 one was THE big one for this round.

[Keith Webb]

Depending on where the tide was a 16" wave may not even make it all the way up the beach.

Anyway, let's hope there aren't more quakes in this event.

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Depending on where the tide was a 16" wave may not even make it all the way up the beach.

Anyway, let's hope there aren't more quakes in this event.

My fingers are crossed!!!

Karmen.

The weather has already been acting up along BC coasts and other places.

[quote]B.C. storm knocks out power on south coast
Updated Wed. Nov. 15 2006 12:15 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

A powerful wind and rain storm has knocked out power to thousands of customers living on British Columbia's south coast.

B.C. Hydro reported that electricity was cut off just before daybreak on Wednesday to about 8,000 customers in Sechelt, Whistler, Bowen Island and Quadra Island.

Wind and rainfall warnings were posted early in the day for most of the B.C. Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

"It's two storm systems that are hammering into each other at the same time that's bringing a lot of this precipitation. The worst of it apparently is going to be on Vancouver Island in places like Tofino ... (which) could get as much as 140 millimetres of rain," CTV's Todd Battis reported from Vancouver.

"Here in Greater Vancouver in the Lower Mainland we are expecting somewhere in the area of 70 to 90 millimetres of rain -- the worst of is going to be North Vancouver."

Environment Canada reported that southeast winds of up to 90 kilometres an hour are sweeping through coastal sections of the province.

The weather agency also reported that an intense frontal system over the eastern pacific will continue to intensify and hit the south and central coast, spreading heavy rain and strong winds.

Rainfall of 40 to 50 millimetres is expected to drench North Vancouver Island, while amounts of up to 110 millimetres are forecast for Howe Sound and West Vancouver Island.

Environment Canada warns that the heaviest rain for East Vancouver Island will be concentrated in the area between Parksville and Comox, which is expected to be soaked with up to 90 millimetres of rain by Wednesday evening.

The heavy precipitation and strong winds are forecasted to ease by the evening when the frontal system moves inland.

Meanwhile, wind gusts forced B.C. Ferries to cancel or delay sailings on major routes connecting the B.C. Mainland to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Harbour Air has also cancelled flights from Vancouver to Victoria and Nanaimo, although West Coast Air has kept its flights between Vancouver and Victoria. Helijet service across Georgia Strait is not affected.

The River Forecast Centre has said river levels are expected to rise, with local flooding possible on Vancouver Island's Cowichan River.

The centre warned that melting snow and rainfall will likely cause rivers to rise rapidly by late Wednesday.

However, the Chilliwack River in the eastern Fraser Valley and streams on Vancouver's North Shore are not expected to reach flood stage.

In the Fraser Valley, concerned residents are already taking precautions by sandbagging along creeks and rivers.

"The concern is not only the amount of rain that's going to fall but warm weather that could melt any snow that's on the mountains," Battis said.

"If you bring lots of moisture, combine it with warm temperatures, you get the snow melting in the mountains, which of course runs off into those creeks and rivers and compounds the problem," he said.

[quote]

[Ponysoldier]

Youngest Daughter lives 2 miles from the puget sound,
Im gunna pass the word along,she also says they have been getting hammered by those storms.She is not accustom
to the type of weather thats happening there now
Patrick

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
Youngest Daughter lives 2 miles from the puget sound,
Im gunna pass the word along,she also says they have been getting hammered by those storms.She is not accustom
to the type of weather thats happening there now
Patrick

90 km per hour winds and all is pretty intense. Your daughter lives in a beautiful looking environment though, and I especially love the Islands along the coast Going inland won't help much as the weather is really acting up in many areas. If she doesn't get one kind, she'll get another. I hope she's got power still.

Karmen.

[Ponysoldier]

Ok so that didnt work,anyhow if I did this right thats
about 54 mph which is nothing to sneeze at she has said
it is seriously wet,Im not sure about the power have'nt
gotten thru to her yet........ah I hate waiting........
Is that a 16 inch wave or 16 foot?????????/
Patrick

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
Ok so that didnt work,anyhow if I did this right thats
about 54 mph which is nothing to sneeze at she has said
it is seriously wet,Im not sure about the power have'nt
gotten thru to her yet........ah I hate waiting........
Is that a 16 inch wave or 16 foot?????????/
Patrick

16 INCHES

Here's a link for KOMO TV weather reports...
http://www.komotv.com/weather/

Karmen.

Have a look at the weather in action, at the Coast Click on "Global National Reports" for video. Pretty wicked winds happening ... many without power (I think 200,000 last count and more expected)

http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/index.html#

Karmen

[Ponysoldier]

Just tried to get thru to the kid,no soap.I've the link
and she is only 70 something miles south of the border.
Im worried now
Patrick

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
Just tried to get thru to the kid,no soap.I've the link
and she is only 70 something miles south of the border.
Im worried now
Patrick

You mean 70 miles south of BC/US border? I wouldn't doubt power outages as a possibility since that corner of Canada and US getting big winds and rain and trees coming down some places and knocking out some hydro poles. Vancouver Island has been getting it. I know all sorts of people at the Coast and on the Island. Getting through by any kind of phone is probably hard or impossible right now. I'm sure your daughter is okay and somewhere safe with lots of others if its that bad there. If she knows you're probably worrying I'm sure she'll try to get through to you until she does. In BC I heard lots of people have been evacuated and though lots of big winds and fallen trees and such, no reports of anyone having been seriously hurt or any serious flooding happening, last I heard.

Heres a link for you for Puget Sound area I think

http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtb...and+Hood+Canal

I know its a worry when you can't reach your kids on the phone ... anxiety huh?

I'm tucked way over in the SE low corner near BC/Alberta/US ... weather not great but no biggy for us around here.

Karmen.

[Ponysoldier]

Yes 70 miles south of the border East of the sound proper,
she is sitting right at sea level(if the map is right)
Everett Is the name of the town(God forbid it's a navy town)
I think the navy has put out to sea because of it.
Ill know she will call when she can but I still worry
Patrick

Hi Pat, I hope you were able to reach youyr daughter by now


The WHOLE lower Mainland and Vancouver area is under a boil water advisory as of today until further notice. I guess there's "stuff" in the (3?) reservoirs now from all the rains and winds.

Am just totally enjoying my homemade 3 bean soup in which I just added lots of vegemite to perk it up ... TOTALLY YUM!

Karmen.