Japan ...

[Dave W]

I'm happy to hear that your family is safe, Harry.

[Iome]

Man, nothing scares the s*!t out of you like an earthquake, it really reminds you of how helpless you are against natures forces. Best wishes to all the people involved.
Fortunatly Japanese has a strong mentality (and a solid pair of coglioni) to go on, fix and continue the daily routine.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

And now a cooling system explosion that apparently has collapsed the walls of a building surrounding a reactor.

The quake was 8.9 & the tsunami was 23 feet but the explosion at Fukushima power plant & the threat of meltdown is the worst problem by far!!!
This could be the end of Japan! wow

Glad you're safe, hieronymous! Sounds like you better get as far from Fukushima as possible...

[tore00]

When I was there for my job I felt some eartquakes, my colleagues were perfectly calm while I was extremely nervous. I am worried, but not so much about the collapse of the building in the nuclear plant. I am Phd in safety of nuclear plants and looking at the videos it looks that it was not the reactor building, but an an auxiliary building.

It is clear that the steel structure is still on place and only roof and wall panels were blown by the explosion. The reactor building is not done like that. It is in concrete with steel liner and is much smaller.

I am worried a lot of the tsunami wave: if it destroyed the emergency generators trouble will come, but apparently they were able to turn on the system for flooding of the reactor core. I really hope that there is water in that reactor now.

[Lightyear]

you would think that the Japanese would have built the plants with earthquakes in mind and have thought of all of the possible worst case scenarios.  Here's hoping that they prepared properly. 

[Darrol]

From what I have heard, the earthquake cut power leaving the backup generators running but those were killed by the tsunami leaving just back up batteries with only enough power for 8 hours. More information can be found here.

[uwe]

Happy to hear everyone is safe, Harry.

[Pilgrim]

This could be the end of Japan! wow

Uh, let's not get carried away.  That's not reality.  Remember that this country has had two active atomic bombs dropped on it, and that wasn't "the end of Japan".  Localized disaster (even multiple disasters) does not equal the end of a country.

Japan has its problems, especially on the economic front, but it's a strong, healthy country and it will rebound.

[Barklessdog]

It will not be the end, but what concerns me is whats next, another major California quake ?

[Pilgrim]

It will not be the end, but what concerns me is whats next, another major California quake ?

Good question!  The stories about the devastation will continue, and we'll learn more.  It does appear that they have - and will perhaps have more - low-level releases of radiation, too.

[Nocturnal]

I was able to speak to my sister on skype last night. There were three aftershocks in the hour that we spoke. She has removed all remaining hanging objects from the walls so they get less damage. She has heard from friends in the regions most affected and everyone is safe.They live about 170 miles from where the quake hit the worst. They have begun rationing certain food supplies, right now two cases of water and two loaves of bread is the limit. She expects the rationing will get tighter on most items soon. Electricity comes and goes. They were able to get the house warmed up again at least. Its winter time and it has been pretty cold over there (down to the 20's at times).

[Lightyear]

Authorities are now saying at least 10,000 dead and it's early yet.

I just made an Ebay purchase and they have "donate a dollar" check box set up on the PayPal site - seemed like the right thing to do.

[uwe]

Third reactor threatening to go into meltdown mode and a volcano erupts. If this was one of those doomsday films, you'd now leave the theater muttering to yourself what an unrealistic buch of crap you just saw.

[Pilgrim]

Third reactor threatening to go into meltdown mode and a volcano erupts. If this was one of those doomsday films, you'd now leave the theater muttering to yourself what an unrealistic buch of crap you just saw.

No kidding!  The stories out of the damage from this event are just starting to emerge, and I don't think anyone realizes how it will total up yet.  This may turn out to be the widest-spread devastation recorded in any developed country (outside of warfare).

[OldManC]

I have a friend who lives in Tokyo and he told me the news reports are actually downplaying things. Where he is hasn't been affected as much but in the north it's even worse than how it's being reported.