Posts tagged earthquake
7.9 Earthquake Rocks Philippines As Tsunami Warning Issued
Aug 31st
Manila: An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale rocked the coast of Philippines on Friday. Following the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued for Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and Japan.
Tsunami alerts were also issued for Papua New Guinea and other islands in the Pacific, including the US state of Hawaii.
The quake was centered off the east coast, 91 miles off the town of Guiuan in Samar province, the US Geological Survey said. source – IBN
8.6 Quake Off Indonesia Triggers Tsunami Alert
Apr 11th
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) – A massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a tsunami alert for the Indian Ocean.
The quake struck about 434 kilometers (270 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province, and had a magnitude of 8.6, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It took place at a depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles).
Epicenter of earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra
A second quake, magnitude 8.2, occurred off the west coast of Sumatra about two hours later, the USGS said.
Gary Gibson from the Seismology Research Center in Melbourne, Australia, said the location of the second quake reduces the possibility of a tsunami.
There were no immediate reports of destruction or deaths Wednesday.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on local television that there were no reports of casualties or damage in Aceh.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami watch for the entire Indian Ocean, and the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it had put up a tsunami warning as well.
Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated, the warning center said. “It may already have been destructive along some coasts.”
The center also said that “when no major waves have occurred for at least two hours after the estimated arrival time or damaging waves have not occurred for at least two hours, then local authorities can assume the threat is passed.” The center posted approximate arrival times for waves in different parts of the region, which were predicted for different times in different cities throughout the day.
Waves were reported at 1-meter (3.3-foot) amplitude offshore in Meulaboh, Indonesia, but in other cities they were reported at about a foot or less, according to the warning center.
British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Britain “stands ready to help if required.”
The first quake took place at 2:38 p.m. local time (4:38 a.m. ET). Officials called on coastal residents in low-lying areas in the region to seek higher ground.
The power went out in Banda Aceh and residents were moving to higher ground, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency. The areas most at risk of a tsunami are coastal areas of Aceh, particularly the island of Simeulue, Prih Harjadi, an official for the Indonesian geophysics agency said on Metro TV. source – CNN
Magnitude 6.1 Quake Jolts Eastern Japan No Tsunami Warning
Mar 14th
TOKYO — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 hit east of Tokyo on Wednesday but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no initial reports of damage or troubles at area 
nuclear plants, the Japan Meteorological Agency and local media said.
The earthquake, which caused substantial shaking in Ibaragi and Chiba prefectures east of Tokyo, followed just a few hours after a magnitude 6.8 quake jolted northern Japan.
A tsunami warning was issued but later lifted after the northern Japan earthquake. Just over one year ago, the northeast coast was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, Japan’s strongest on record, and a massive tsunami, triggering the world’s. source – MSNBC
5.5 Earthquake Rocks Iran As 100 Hurt
Jan 19th
TEHRAN (Reuters) – About 100 people were injured when an earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit northeastern Iran on Thursday, state television reported. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:05 p.m., was 10 km (6 miles) outside the city of Neyshabur, some 70 km from the holy city of Mashhad, the official IRNA news agency said.
There had so far been 36 aftershocks since the main quake, IRNA said, adding that some buildings had been damaged and windows shattered in villages near Neyshabur.
“So far 100 people have been injured. Most of them were treated quickly and some have been hospitalized,” state television quoted a local official as saying, adding that rescue workers were in the area.
The news agency ILNA reported that the quake lasted seven seconds and was the strongest felt in the region for 10 years.
Many parts of Iran are prone to earthquakes. At least seven people were killed in a 6.5-magnitude quake that jolted the southeast in 2010, the same region where a huge tremor killed some 31,000 people in the city of Bam in 2003. source – Yahoo News
Tsunami Warning Issued After Powerful 7.3 Quake Hits Off Indonesia
Jan 10th
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A powerful earthquake has hit waters of western Indonesia, prompting local officials to issue a tsunami warning.
The U.S. Geological survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 and struck 260 miles (420 kilometers) off the coast of Aceh province.
It was centered 18 miles (30 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor. Arief Akhir, an official with Indonesia’s geological agency, said a tsunami warning has been issued.
Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
A giant quake off the country on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, half of them in Aceh. source – Yahoo News
Alaska ROCKED by 7.1 Quake, Tsunami Very Possible As Residents Warned To FLEE
Sep 2nd
BREAKING NEWS: 7.1 earthquake strikes south west of Alaska, threatening devastating tsunami
A huge earthquake hit just south west of Alaska this morning, threatening a devastating tsunami. People living in coastal areas have been told to leave their homes immediately and flee inland to higher ground after the 7.1 magnitude quake struck close to the Aleutian Islands, 1,031 miles away from Anchorage.
Frightening: The earthquake hit just over 1,000 miles south west of Anchorage
Widespread damage is feared across the West Coast – from British Columbia, Canada, to Washington – as towns brace themselves for the oncoming waves. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the warning, stating that residents should flee their homes immediately.
‘Those feeling the earth shake, seeing unusual wave action, or the water level rising or receding may have only a few minutes before the tsunami arrival and should move immediately.
‘Homes and small buildings are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay in these structures,’ the warning read. source – Daily Mail UK
Record DC Quake Causes $100 Million Dollars In Damage
Aug 24th
Devastating quake leaves $100 million in damage in it’s wake
The earthquake which yesterday ripped through the East Coast of America has devastated historic buildings, causing a huge $100million in damage.Terrifying tremors were felt throughout the north east causing buildings from Washington D.C. through New York City to Toronto, Canada, to be evacuated yesterday for fear of collapse.
Ripples: This map shows the vast spread of the affect of the earthquake. Buildings were evacuated as far away as Toronto, Canada
The 5.8 magnitude earthquake, which originated in Virginia, brought panic to the Pentagon and the White House, and sparked fears that the iconic Washington Monument would fall.
The huge structure, which was said to have tilted because of the shudder, cracked because of the earthquake and has since been closed indefinitely to the public for immediate repairs.
Overall damage caused across the coast was estimated to be a huge $100 million. In Mineral, Virginia – the epicentre of the earthquake – people’s homes were trashed and supermarkets looked as if they had been ransacked by looters.
As ripples from the tremor hit Washington and New York, city streets across the coast were filled with thousands of people hauled out of buildings for fear they could collapse. There were also fears of a nuclear disaster of the kind seen in Japan’s Fukushima because the epicentre was just ten miles from a nuclear power plant. Federal officials said two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County, Virginia, were automatically taken off line by safety systems.
At the Pentagon, it was reported that staff ran from the building fearing they were under attack.
As authorities revealed that aftershocks from the earthquake could last for weeks, it emerged the Washington Monument will be closed indefinitely to the public after engineers found cracks in the building.
The monument suffered minor damage but cracks were found in the stones at the top of the structure, sparking fears of collapse. A police officer had earlier insisted he had seen the monument tilting because of the vibrations. A family who were at the top of the monument when the quake hit said they felt it swap almost a foot, while pieces of the structure fell on top of them.
At the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. three of the four pinnacles of the tower were damaged. Engineers are currently working to try to limit the damage. source – Daily Mail UK
