Japan Tsunami

(CNN) -- The threat of a tsunami prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a warning for at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan Friday.

The wide-ranging list includes Russia and Indonesia, Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica and the U.S. state of Hawaii. The weather service's bulletin is intended "as advice to government agencies."

The quake, which struck near the coast of Honshu on Friday afternoon unleashed a wall of water that rushed in toward land, leveling houses and cars in its path.
Authorities in the U.S. territory of Guam said a tsunami could hit the island as early as 7:09 p.m. (4:09 a.m. ET). Sirens sounded in Hawaii around 10 p.m. Thursday (3 a.m. ET), warning residents they could expect tsunami waves five hours later.

The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center early Friday issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas along the United States and Canadian west coasts. The tsunami warning includes coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Conception to the Oregon-Washington border. It also includes coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass to Attu.
In the Philippines, the government has evacuated 20 coast areas. A tsunami could could hit by 6 p.m. (5 a.m. ET), it said.

Meanwhile, the regional government in eastern Taiwan's Taitung county canceled classes and work, but did not immediately begin evacuations.

Russia's emergency situations ministry said more than 11,000 people living in dangerous areas had been evacuated after a tsunami warning was issued for the Kuril Islands. Ships docked in open ports were heading back out to sea to avoid being hit by tsunami waves, the ministry said.

Chip McCreary of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said officials estimated the quake was already causing waves with magnitudes of up to 2 meters above normal sea level.

"This is a very large earthquake. We've evaluated it as about the same size as the earthquake last year in Chile. However, it's much closer to the Hawaiian islands than the Chile earthquake," he said.

The National Weather Service list includes Japan, Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and the United States.
Numerous Pacific islands, including some U.S. territories, are also on the list.

Friday's 8.9-magnitude temblor in Japan was the largest earthquake since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Banda Aceh area of Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, causing a massive tsunami that killed about 250,000 people in 14 countries and washed away entire communities. The tsunami caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations.

Tsunami waves can travel at speeds of 800 kilometers per hour. The earthquake, initially reported as a 7.8 earthquake, was upgraded to an 8.9 quake.

"When you jump a magnitude from 7 to 8, it's not 10 times stronger, it's a 1000 times stronger," said CNN International meteorologist Ivan Cabrera. "With an ... earthquake that shallow, that close to shore, there will be more than one.

Source

Video after earth quake

(CNN) - Ancaman tsunami mendorong Dinas Cuaca Nasional AS untuk mengeluarkan peringatan untuk setidaknya 20 negara dan banyak pulau-pulau di Pasifik setelah gempa bumi berkekuatan 8,9 melanda Jepang Jumat.

Daftar cakupan termasuk Rusia dan Indonesia, negara-negara Amerika Tengah seperti Guatemala, El Salvador dan Kosta Rika dan negara bagian AS Hawaii. Buletin Layanan cuaca dimaksudkan "sebagai nasihat kepada instansi pemerintah."

Gempa, yang melanda di dekat pantai Honshu pada hari Jumat sore melepaskan tsunami yang bergegas ke arah daratan, meratakan rumah dan mobil di jalan.

Pihak berwenang di wilayah AS Guam mengatakan tsunami bisa melanda pulau paling cepat 19:09 (04:09 ET). Sirene terdengar di Hawaii sekitar 10 Kamis (3 am ET), memperingatkan penduduk mereka bisa mengetahui gelombang tsunami lima jam kemudian.

The West Coast dan Alaska Tsunami Warning Center Jumat pagi mengeluarkan peringatan tsunami untuk wilayah pesisir di sepanjang Amerika Serikat dan pantai barat Kanada. Peringatan tsunami mencakup wilayah pesisir California dan Oregon dari Point Conception ke perbatasan Oregon-Washington. Hal ini juga mencakup daerah pesisir Alaska dari Amchitka Pass sampai Attu.

Di Filipina, pemerintah telah mengevakuasi 20 daerah pantai. Tsunami bisa bisa terkena 18:00 (05:00 ET), katanya.

Sementara itu, pemerintah daerah di daerah Taitung Taiwan timur membatalkan kelas dan pekerja, namun tidak segera mulai evakuasi.

Situasi darurat kementerian Rusia mengatakan lebih dari 11.000 orang tinggal di daerah berbahaya telah dievakuasi setelah peringatan tsunami dikeluarkan untuk Kepulauan Kuril. Kapal berlabuh di pelabuhan terbuka sedang menuju kembali ke laut untuk menghindari terkena gelombang tsunami, kata mereka.

Chip McCreary dari Pusat Peringatan Tsunami Pasifik mengatakan para pejabat memperkirakan gempa itu telah menyebabkan gelombang dengan gelombanghingga 2 meter di atas permukaan air laut normal.

"Ini adalah gempa yang sangat besar. Kami telah mengevaluasi, gempa ini memiliki ukuran yang sama seperti gempa tahun lalu di Chili. Namun, itu lebih dekat ke pulau-pulau Hawaii dari gempa Chile," katanya.

The National Weather Service meliputi Jepang, Rusia, Filipina, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji, Meksiko, Selandia Baru, Guatemala, El Salvador, Kosta Rika, Nikaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ekuador, Kolombia, Peru danAmerika Serikat.

Banyak pulau-pulau Pasifik, termasuk beberapa wilayah AS, juga dalam daftar.
Gempa berkekuatan 8,9 hari Jumat di Jepang adalah gempa terbesar sejak gempa berkekuatan 9,0 melanda wilayah Banda Aceh, Indonesia pada 26 Desember 2004, menyebabkan gelombang tsunami besar yang menewaskan sekitar 250.000 orang di 14 negara dan menghapuskan seluruh masyarakat. Tsunami menyebabkan hampir $ 10 miliar dalam kerusakan dan korban lebih dari tsunami lainnya dalam sejarah, menurut PBB.

Gelombang Tsunami dapat melakukan perjalanan dengan kecepatan 800 kilometer per jam. Gempa bumi, awalnya dilaporkan sebagai gempa bumi 7,8, ditingkatkan menjadi sebuah gempa 8,9.

"Bila Anda melompat besarnya sebuah 7-8, itu bukan 10 kali lebih kuat, itu adalah 1000 kali lebih kuat," kata CNN International meteorologi Ivan Cabrera. "Dengan gempa bumi ... yang dangkal, yang dekat dengan pantai, akan ada lebih dari satu.

Sumber

Video setelah gempa