Friday, March 11, 2011
Philippines Tsunami Evacuation
After the big earthquake hit Japan triggering a tsunami the Philippines is now ordering tsunami evacuation as the tsunami's 3-foot-waves are expected to hit the northern coast, according to Yahoo News.
Yahoo writes:
Philippine Volcanology and Seismology Institute director Renato Solidum says the first 3-foot (1-meter) high waves are expected to hit the northernmost Batanes islands by 5 p.m. (09:00 GMT) Friday.
Disaster management officials in Albay province southeast of Manila say they have ordered residents to move to designated evacuation sites that are at least 15 feet (5 meters) above sea level.
Japan's Earthquake and Destruction
CNN reports that the earthquake in Japan is the largest it has had in over 100 years - it has killed hundreds of people and collapsed many buildings. The earthquake has also brought on a tsunami which adds to the devastation.
CNN writes:
Friday's quake is the strongest earthquake in recorded history to hit Japan, according to U.S. Geologic Survey records. The previous record was an 8.6-magnitude earthquake that struck near the Chubu Region near southwestern Honshu on October 28, 1707, that may have killed 5,000 people, CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said.
The quake, which struck at 2:46 p.m. (12:46 a.m. ET), prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue tsunami warnings for at least 50 countries and territories, although initial reports as the waves hit outside of Japan indicated no damage.
The epicenter of the main quake Friday was off Miyagi Prefecture, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) from Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
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| Photo taken from Bharat Chronicle |
Japanese broadcasters reported collapsed buildings, power outages and transportation disruptions throughout Japan. In Tokyo, 230 miles from the hardest-hit areas, rail service was suspended, elevated highways were shut down early Saturday and surface streets remained jammed as commuters continued trying to get to their homes in outlying areas
There is a lot of commotion around the Fukushima nuclear power plant, because the emergency cooling system has not been working and there is fear for a meltdown as reported by the LA Times.
The shut down of over 18 percent of all plants has caused much of the electricity in Japan to be shut down.
President Barack Obama has offered condolences and assistance to Japan.
CNN writes:
"I offer our Japanese friends whatever assistance is needed," he said during a news conference. "Today's events remind us how fragile life can be."
Obama said Friday that the main U.S. assistance to Japan for now would probably be "lift capacity" in the form of heavy equipment to help clean up damaged infrastructure.
The U.S. government is taking inventory of how many military personnel are in Japan to provide help, he said, adding that American citizens in Japan will also receive assistance.
Obama called the earthquake and tsunami "a potentially catastrophic disaster," saying the images of destruction were "simply heartbreaking."
The following is video footage from Japan:
Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Update - Phil Tagami Video Part 1
On Tuesday, this blogger visited California Commercial Investments Managing Partner Phil Tagami, who has been a friend of mine since 1990.
Tagami is the developer of the Fox Theater (where such groups as Coldplay and Green Day have performed) and The Rotunda (both in Downtown Oakland), sat down to talk with me about the progress his team, including AMB Realty, is making on the redevelopment of The Oakland Army Base in West Oakland into in a new town and facility called Oakland Global. The 300-acre project's in what is technically called an "Exclusive Negotiating Period," as of this writing.
It's a weird deal in that Phil's team could do a lot of work, from environmental studies to infrastructure planning, and still lose the right to continue the "ENA." There's no sign of that happening, however, and if it does, the City doesn't have a viable "second act" to effectively complete the work.
Print that.
Here's the Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Update video, which is 33 minutes long in total. This is blog post is "part one," because our talk is filled with jargon that has to be explained for the lay viewer, and will be in a follow up post. This blog post presents our talk. Here's the video:
Stay tuned.
Tagami is the developer of the Fox Theater (where such groups as Coldplay and Green Day have performed) and The Rotunda (both in Downtown Oakland), sat down to talk with me about the progress his team, including AMB Realty, is making on the redevelopment of The Oakland Army Base in West Oakland into in a new town and facility called Oakland Global. The 300-acre project's in what is technically called an "Exclusive Negotiating Period," as of this writing.
It's a weird deal in that Phil's team could do a lot of work, from environmental studies to infrastructure planning, and still lose the right to continue the "ENA." There's no sign of that happening, however, and if it does, the City doesn't have a viable "second act" to effectively complete the work.
Print that.
Here's the Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Update video, which is 33 minutes long in total. This is blog post is "part one," because our talk is filled with jargon that has to be explained for the lay viewer, and will be in a follow up post. This blog post presents our talk. Here's the video:
Stay tuned.
Huge Japan Earthquake Triggers Tsunami
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan this morning was the 2nd this week, and triggered a Tsunami that has already passed the coast of Kauai, as coastal evacuations proceed in Oregon, Washington, and California. President Barack Obama has already offered help to the people of Japan, and has a news conference scheduled for later this morning."Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis..."
U.S. President Barack Obama
Twitter is sluggish as the information flows; the two best hashtags are #japan and #tsunami as of now. Further information, including how to help, is available via CrisisWiki.org
Obama offers help to #Japan after quake, FEMA and Coast Guard ready in states as CA and OR opt for #tsunami evacs http://bit.ly/hFG2Wa
Record 8.9 earthquake, 2nd quake in 3 days, hits japan, triggering tsunami. http://reut.rs/ehpuKV Hawaii evacs in progress
Political Correspondent 
Thomas Hayes is a former Congressional Campaign Manager; he's a journalist, communications consultant, photo/videographer, entrepreneur, and union supporter who contributes regularly on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.
Thomas Hayes is a former Congressional Campaign Manager; he's a journalist, communications consultant, photo/videographer, entrepreneur, and union supporter who contributes regularly on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.Tsunami Warning For West Coast After Japan's Massive Earthquake
Japan suffered a massive 8.9 on the Richter Scale Earthquake that MSNBC's reporting to be, as of this writing, one of the fifth largest in history.
The quake caused a 12-foot tsunami in the port city of Kamishi and its tremors shook buildings in the capital Tokyo, over 400 miles away. The sheer magnitude of the quake, which has killed 17 people as of this blog post, is such that tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii and for the entire United States West Coast.
Tsunami warning sirens have been sounded in Honolulu after the quake, and the first waves are expected to reach Hawaiian shores at 8 AM Island Standard Time. About 1 meter of waves are expected
The Japan Quake, which struck at 2:46 PM local time in Japan, hit 129 miles off the coast, and resulted in the first giant waves sweeping whole portions of Japanese farmland away, and washing large 18-wheel trucks in its path. The video images are horrifying. Here's some of them from YouTube:
The epicenter of the quake was near the town of Sendai. The airport there is pretty much under water.
AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube has continued live coverage and videos of the Japan Earthquake and tsunamis. Here's a video:
Stay tuned.
The quake caused a 12-foot tsunami in the port city of Kamishi and its tremors shook buildings in the capital Tokyo, over 400 miles away. The sheer magnitude of the quake, which has killed 17 people as of this blog post, is such that tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii and for the entire United States West Coast.
Tsunami warning sirens have been sounded in Honolulu after the quake, and the first waves are expected to reach Hawaiian shores at 8 AM Island Standard Time. About 1 meter of waves are expected
The Japan Quake, which struck at 2:46 PM local time in Japan, hit 129 miles off the coast, and resulted in the first giant waves sweeping whole portions of Japanese farmland away, and washing large 18-wheel trucks in its path. The video images are horrifying. Here's some of them from YouTube:
The epicenter of the quake was near the town of Sendai. The airport there is pretty much under water.
AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube has continued live coverage and videos of the Japan Earthquake and tsunamis. Here's a video:
Stay tuned.
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