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10 Jan 2012 15:22

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World: Large quake near Indonesia; tsunami warnings in effect

  • 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits off coast of Indonesia source
  • » A tsunami warning is in effect: The earthquake struck shortly after midnight local time, some 262 miles off the coast of Banda Aceh, Sumatra. There are, so far, no reports of casualties or damages, but Indonesian officials have confirmed the tsunami alert. The caution is entirely sensible; it was in late 2004 that a large earthquake triggered a catastrophic tsunami which struck Indonesia, killing nearly a quarter-million people.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2011 13:29

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World: Fukushima: Worse than was initially reported?

  • Is Fukushima worse than we think? That’s what this story from Al Jazeera suggests. One example they offer up: When seawater gets poured on the still-hot reactors, it produces radioactive steam that’s blown everywhere — even as far as the west coast of the U.S. One former nuclear industry executive, Arnold Gundersen, even put it as such: “Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind.” Is he right? Worth a read. (Photo via Flickr user Jun Teramoto) source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 May 2011 18:32

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World: The scene of the tsunami at Fukushima Daiichi

  • TEPCO has released several photos of the catastrophic tsunami of March 11th, as it struck the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. They are perhaps somewhat instructive, as they highlight the intense level of natural abuse the plant took that led to this ongoing crisis. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 May 2011 14:41

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World: Despite massive damage, Fukushima timetable stays the same

  • 9 months maximum needed to get Fukushima under control source
  • » That number isn’t changing: While they’ve discovered more damage than they originally anticipated — such as damage to fuel reactors — and are still dealing with meltdowns. Despite these discouraging discoveries, officials are sticking to this timetable, saying that the reactors are continuing to cool despite the more extensive damage. “The point [Japanese Prime Minister Naoto] Kan is making is that the reactor cores are being cooled down despite the apparent meltdown,” said Goshi Hosono, the prime minister’s special adviser on the issue.
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Apr 2011 14:27

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World: Unintended consequences, priorities complicate Japan crisis

  • action Lacking the ability to pump water through the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant as they usually would, workers were hosing in as much seawater as they could to try to cool the unstable fuel rods.
  • outcome This consequently left the plant covered in contaminated salt water, and has made it extremely difficult for those in the plant to work near the reactors, thus impeding the crisis control effort. source
  • »And don’t forget about Japan’s other problems: Prime Minister Naoto Kan was pretty unpopular prior to the earthquake and tsunami that decimated the country, and his abilities at crisis management haven’t escaped public criticism. Reuters reports that many Japanese are unhappy with the Prime Minister’s focus on the nuclear crisis, feeling that not enough attention is being paid to other pressing humanitarian tolls caused by the earthquake; the number of dead or missing currently sits at 28,000 people, though obviously that estimate is changing all the time. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Mar 2011 13:33

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World: Scuba-capable Japanese man saves wife, mother

  • problem Hideaki Akaiwa was at work when the dual threats of earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan. He went home to find his neighborhood was under ten feet of water, his wife and mother nowhere to be found.
  • solution Akaiwa strapped on scuba gear and swam some 200 yards through debris (his estimate) to his house, where he found his wife. He found his mother that way, too, in the 2nd floor of another home. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Mar 2011 16:20

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World: Video shows town swept away as citizens flee tsunami

  • At the water’s edge: Chilling new amateur video footage of the tsunami that swept away entire Japanese towns and villages. This seems as good a time as any to remind everyone of something we’ve mentioned frequently- if you’re going to donate, first of all, thank you, and second of all, do so intelligently. The idea of people trying to financially exploit natural disasters and human suffering is self-evidently disgusting, and as such informed decisions are important. (EDIT: idroolinmysleep notes that the BBC has a longer version of the clip.) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

11 Mar 2011 15:53

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World: Video shows Japanese skyscrapers wobbling during quake

  • Three cheers for structural integrity: Although it’s pretty harrowing to see high-rises sway back and forth, it does look like the buildings managed to survive – at least for as long as the camera was running. The title of the video could provide a clue; any of our Japanese-speaking readers care to translate? [hat tip: FrumForum] source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Mar 2011 10:31

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U.S.: Tsunami may hit Californian shores in a couple of minutes

  • yes A tsunami warning has been issued to Northern California; Crescent City’s shores could be hit any minute now, with San Francisco and Santa Barbara following within the hour.
  • however…It’s probably not a big deal; the estimated wave heights in California are only around 4ft, and none of San Francisco has been evacuated. Still, steer clear of any beaches. source
  • » Two of us at ShortFormBlog live in California, and despite the fact that four feet waves don’t sound too intimidating, we’re going to resist the temptation (however minimal) to go to any of our beaches today. To our fellow Californians, please play it safe, because with Mother Nature, you never know. Officials say the north end of Monterey Bay is expected to be hit the hardest, and these things can continue for up to twelve hours after the initial hit.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Oct 2010 09:50

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World: An update on Indonesia’s deadly twin disasters

  • 34people killed by Tuesday’s eruption; it erupted again, too
  • 343 people confirmed dead in the massive tsunami in Indonesia
  • 338 people still missing; officials fear as many as 500 could be dead
  • 16k people displaced by the tsunami, which created 10-foot waves source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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