Are there any V-Flyers in the Pacific Rim right now ?

[Scrooge]

If so, firstly get to high ground.

The tsunami warning has been extended to the entire Pacific rim.

More details to come.

ETA for Hawaiian islands is 3am local.

NRT is closed.

Rather than list the ETA's go to this website

http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/text.php?id ... .11.083004

The images I am seeing right are pretty grim, CNN is reporting 15-25 ft waves travelling at high speed.

West coast USA 8.45 am local.

Released at 8.30 GMT:
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii widens its tsunami warning to include Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific Ocean. The warning also includes Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Central and South America.

Serious stuff, looks like there may be more damage as the tsunami makes landfall in other regions - everybody take care out there.

And, I'm in LA and Hawaii in two weeks time - sobering really.

[Scrooge]

Yep, thankfully nobody is in the family vacation house on Maui right now, it's right on the beach and I have to figure it will be gone by the time the sun comes up.

Really is awful - it is times like these where you remember how safe it is living here - in terms of natural disasters!

I'm really suprised by how calm the Japanese are during the Earthquake on the CCTV - I suppose in time they get used to it and are prepared for them from birth.

Hope everyone is safe!

[Darren Wheeler]

Japan is probably the most prepared country in the world when it comes to seismic events.

Now thinking mrs NH's month in Tokyo was well timed in January..

State of emergency now declared, issues with cooling systems on a nuclear power plant, doesn't sound good..

Still waiting to hear back from friends who live near NRT

I'm currently in Shanghai. I see China is not on that list and have assumed it should be ok here as the quake was the other side of Japan from here. Did not notice any tremors from here. I'm not sure of the geography so don't know how far away the quake was, prob about 1000 miles

Morning from the California coast. Not much happening here, just some coastal roads closed and the beaches are closed as well.

My thoughts and prayers are with all the people affected by this.

So it appears that Hawaii managed to escape lightly, Sky News reporting that no major damage and waves minimal compared to what was predicted. Same goes for most other major countries, NZ, Philippines, PNG. The main worry, Japan aside, is the smaller pacific atols and islands which are of course very low lying and have poor communications with the outside world.

As for Japan they are very prepared but the pictures of the wave striking and seeing people on foot and in cars driving along oblivious to the impending wave is rather sobering.

[honey lamb]

So it appears that Hawaii managed to escape lightly, Sky News reporting that no major damage and waves minimal compared to what was predicted. Same goes for most other major countries, NZ, Philippines, PNG. The main worry, Japan aside, is the smaller pacific atols and islands which are of course very low lying and have poor communications with the outside world.

As for Japan they are very prepared but the pictures of the wave striking and seeing people on foot and in cars driving along oblivious to the impending wave is rather sobering.

I've just seen photos from Kona posted by a friend who lives there. Alii Drive, the main road in the town is all churned up and in chunks.

A friend has also posted a video of a river surge in Humboldt County, northern California from the tsunami

They're on my Facebook page

Even saw some interesting ripples in the bay today. Very interesting event. SF itself is historically relatively safe from tsunami events, unlike geographies like Crescent City, as HL reports. One person did indeed die when the waves dragged him into the ocean.

Our friends in Huntington Beach, CA noticed highre waves than usual for a time, but there was nothing worrying.

It was very scary, indeed. I live 200 yard from the ocean so I had to evacuate. I spent the night in my car behind someone's house.

I'm moving off the island in a few weeks so hope I never have to deal with tsunamis ever again!

[Scrooge]

Which Island ?

We were discussing last night, turns out Mrs NH was on the Sendai Bullet train just over 4 weeks ago...
Slightly frightening..
Thoughts out for one of her colleagues from that trip who's family are from Sendai (we've not had any contact, but to be fair not likely to of given the circumstances..)

Only sliightly related but it is reported on Aviation Herald that many airlines are overnighting their planes/CC in ICN or HKG rather than in Japan on international routes.

AH also reports that 1,400 people were saved by using the terminal at Sendai airport.

But again some stupid comments from people who have no idea about anything.

But again some stupid comments from people who have no idea about anything.

Many of them no more stupid than those made by so-called experts being rolled out on the media.

Many lives ago I did work at Windscale - and actually on the design of Zircaloy fuel cladding for steam generating reactors ....

Very important to remember these reactors were a 1960's design - same as the DC-10 ... we haven't stopped flying ... we just make aircraft safer.

It was very scary, indeed. I live 200 yard from the ocean so I had to evacuate. I spent the night in my car behind someone's house.

I'm moving off the island in a few weeks so hope I never have to deal with tsunamis ever again!

Aloha, Mattdell. I hope you are back safe and sound in your usual place before you head back from Hawaii. I grew up there, when every month there was a Civil Defense siren testing in case of tsunamis. When I was a kid, I used to get nightmares of tsunamis wiping out towns in their way. Unfortunately, the worst of my nightmares from my past had just played itself out a few days ago in Japan. Horrible....

Should be interesting to see the repeated scenes of relative dignified calm, lack of panic, organised queuing etc currently being seen in Japan, once this this gets to a wider audience in California

[Scrooge]

Should be interesting to see the repeated scenes of relative dignified calm, lack of panic, organised queuing etc currently being seen in Japan, once this this gets to a wider audience in California

Actually, that is pretty much Southern California and Nevada getting hit first followed by the rest of California and the other west coast states.

[Darren Wheeler]

That link is almost worthy of Fox/Sky news. No comparison to the normal background radiation.

A bit like the Sky headline - "Radiation levels at plant increase four-fold" Totally meaningless and sensationalist.

Already bidding up to $255 for potassium iodate tabs. on ebay.

Shows the extent of cold war propaganda still effective in the US.
No different in the UK.
Insane!