Tokyo (CNN) – An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan early Friday, triggering tsunami warnings and sending people fleeing out of buildings in the capital.
Its epicenter was 373 kilometers (231 miles) from Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey said.
The quake rattled buildings and toppled cars off bridges and into waters underneath. In Tokyo, crowds gathered in the streets and tried to reach relatives via cell phone.
Scenes inside office buildings showed papers strewn all over the floor and people clinging onto seats and desks.
Such a large earthquake at such a shallow depth creates a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami in the Pacific was moving closer to other shorelines in other countries, according to CNN metereologist Ivan Cabrera.
It triggered tsunami warnings for various countries, including Japan and Russia, the National Weather Service said.
“Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis potentially dangerous to coasts outside the source region,” it said.
“Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter.”
The quake was the latest in a series in the region this week.
Early Thursday, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck off the coast of Honshu.
A day earlier, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off of Honshu, the country’s meteorological agency said.
The Wednesday quake lasted as long as three minutes, but did not cause significant damage. It could be felt in Tokyo, 267 miles (429 kilometers) southwest of its epicenter.
Not only is Japan suffering both a major earthquake and tsunami, a tsunami watch has been issued for just about the entire Pacific basin from Russia and China to the U.S. West Coast. This may surpass the Indonesian quake of 12/26/2004.
This is horrible. I’m watching the footage now, and there is a lot of damage. Thankfully, their buildings are built to withstand some of the most powerful quakes, so that minimized casualties. I’m afraid the Tsunami probably did some of the most damage.
Slick
I sat and watched the news for a while, flipped through all the networks. At least one NHK clip from a helicopter you see the water come to a road and wash away two or three moving vehicles. Apparently the area closest to the quake is relatively flat, low farmland for many miles from the coast and the water came very far inland. Scary to see by that point with shattered wood, cars, trucks, boats, and who knows what burning coming with the water. I suspect the death toll will be fairly high.
This is a tragedy that will be felt across the world. Already the markets are taking a dip. More tragically, the last death toll was at 91, but the number of dead is expected to be much higher. This story is only going to get bigger as the day progresses. Hopefully the tsunami will not be as bad for the other nations, Hawaii, or our west coast.
I hope she’s okay, too, and that you hear some good news soon.
I’m waiting for some news on a cousin and her family who live near Tokyo - I’m sure they’re okay, but still have to worry.
So far as I have heard in the office, our Japanese friends & associates are okay.
-Update-
Apparently, my family still forgets to tell fill me in on all the gossip. My cousin is back in the states- Thank goodness.
Hope everyone’s friends and family are healthy and safe!
