Had not intended on a generic Happy New Year to everyone, but since I haven’t heard much about this from others on substack, the New Year Day news (as posted on my FB page) … ”Oh damn. A New Year's Day earthquake in Western Japan just hit a few minutes ago ... big enough to feel here in Tokyo, with NHK news predicting a tsunami of up to 5 meters. The NHK announcer is frantic, a panic in her voice calling for immediate evacuation of a large swath of Western Japan.
Now about 24 hours later and it looks like things were not nearly as bad as they could have been. For a 7.6 mag quake with numerous aftershocks it looks like the death toll will be well under 100 (it's 30 as I write this according to NHK) and not an enormous amount of damage with a lot less tsunami than was feared and only a handful of large fires (maybe just 2? not sure).
I suspect the fact that it happened late afternoon on a holiday helped a lot
Had to turn off TV coverage to get the kids to eat and off to bed. The large tsunami warnings are no longer posted. Either they hit while the TV was off or they are no longer believed to a threat. Seeing lots of coverage of collapsed homes and impassable roads but none of tsunami damage. Now seeing an onsite report from Toyama City. Lights are still on but the roads are unleavened, broken pavement. The previous on site report from somewhere else was off an abandoned town completely devoid of electrical power.
Hadn’t heard a thing about it! But then, I just woke up. May it have been natural in cause, minimal in loss of life, and not a foreshock.
Thanks for reporting. May you be well! Happy new year-- despite this rocky start!
Thanks for the additional information. This helps since I no longer have a TV...
Thank you always, Steve! Let's hope the worst news of the year is already behind us! (Fat chance, i know)
Even in Osaka, skyscrapers were swaying like reeds in a breeze :(
Now about 24 hours later and it looks like things were not nearly as bad as they could have been. For a 7.6 mag quake with numerous aftershocks it looks like the death toll will be well under 100 (it's 30 as I write this according to NHK) and not an enormous amount of damage with a lot less tsunami than was feared and only a handful of large fires (maybe just 2? not sure).
I suspect the fact that it happened late afternoon on a holiday helped a lot
TY - Happy New Year - let's catch up this summer.
Had to turn off TV coverage to get the kids to eat and off to bed. The large tsunami warnings are no longer posted. Either they hit while the TV was off or they are no longer believed to a threat. Seeing lots of coverage of collapsed homes and impassable roads but none of tsunami damage. Now seeing an onsite report from Toyama City. Lights are still on but the roads are unleavened, broken pavement. The previous on site report from somewhere else was off an abandoned town completely devoid of electrical power.
New Year Love and Blessings, go out to all living things in our world. May the madness halt!