Japan: 9.0 Earthquake-Tsunami-Nuclear Reactor Developments #1

[peeples]

4.50pm: Here's a late afternoon round-up of events on Saturday in Japan, following the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated the eastern side of the country.

•There has been an explosion at the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant in north-eastern Japan, close to the epicentre of the quake. Officials say the blast is not a meltdown and radiation levels were low because the explosion had not affected the reactor core container.

•Tens of thousands of people in the areas surrounding Fukushima No 1 and No 2 plants have been urged to evacuate.

•Japanese authorities are preparing to distribute iodine to residents in the evacuation zones to protect them against radiation exposure.

•Dozens of aftershocks, some as strong as magnitude 6, struck Japan on Saturday. Japan's state broadcaster has warned people in coastal areas that there could be further tsunamis.

•Around 1,700 people are estimated to have been killed, according to local media reports, but that death toll is expected to rise dramatically.

•Around 9,500-10,000 people are missing in the town of Minamisanrikucho in Miyagi prefecture, according to Japanese news reports.

•More than 215,000 people are in emergency shelters and around 50,000 rescuers have been deployed across the country.

•At least 1.4m homes are without water and around three million are without power.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/12/japan-earthquake-tsunami-aftermath-live

 

[peeples]

I might stock up on fish, fearing that prices will jump ridiculously if there is contamination of the ocean, but that's about it. We are far enough away, and radiation is heavy...I doubt it will reach the US at all.

LOL I know... i was just kidding...

I do worry with the plant local to us and a disaster causing it to leak though.

 

[not_my_kids]

LOL I know... i was just kidding...

I do worry with the plant local to us and a disaster causing it to leak though.

I worry a little about ours, we have 4 in the state (I think, 1 has been decommissioned.) And we get LOTS of tornadoes. Not a good mix.

 

[Daisyjane]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/76962.html



TOKYO, March 12, KyodoThe cooling system failed at three reactors of the quake-hit Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant Saturday, the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. The company, which has already scrambled to deal with radiation leaks at its Fukushima No. 1 plant, notified the industry ministry that the failsafe system at the No. 2 plant stopped functioning as the temperature of coolant water has topped 100 C.

100 deg C is the boiling point

 

[Quiche]

Our plant was mothballed after Three Mile Island... our plant was a twin-- public owned, voters shut it down.

 

[gibby207]

I still haven't been able to get in touch with my friend. I call his cell and his restaurant he owns and it just rings and rings or "all circuits are busy" one time. This was weird tho. I'm not hip to the supernatural lingo on this but a couple times I called I heard what sounded like a person on the other end breathing, saying something and hanging up, playing over and over and over, like a recording or reel. The first time it sounded like "how are you doing" over and over, and I kept talking like it would say something different but it didnt and I got freaked out a bit. Then, it happened later in the evening, sounded like a person picked up, said hi, hai, life, or wife, I couldn't tell, but it was a pattern, a reel, just like the first time. It freaked me out. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Anyway, I gave up trying to call him last night and will try again this afternoon.

 

[Quiche]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/76962.html



TOKYO, March 12, KyodoThe cooling system failed at three reactors of the quake-hit Fukushima No. 2 nuclear power plant Saturday, the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. The company, which has already scrambled to deal with radiation leaks at its Fukushima No. 1 plant, notified the industry ministry that the failsafe system at the No. 2 plant stopped functioning as the temperature of coolant water has topped 100 C.

100 deg C is the boiling point

Is this just going to cascade? So scary!

 

[Daisyjane]

Is this just going to cascade? So scary!

Yes, getting scarier by the minute. Fox News is reporting that 190-some people have been treated for radiation-related symptoms. Also worrisome- the winds have turned to the south, so any escaping radiation will be heading for Tokyo.

 

[Quiche]

Still many sizable quakes per hour

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php

 

[tehcloser]

I don't cry much...I refuse to. But a friend who has been personally affected by this posted this last night, and it got me....thought I would share.

‎"Sometimes God let bad things to happen to give way for much more better things that He will be providing us"....please pray for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan.

 

[Quiche]

A heart wrenching slide show to the left of this article...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/12/us-japan-quake-idUSTRE72A0SS20110312

 

[tehcloser]

TOKYO, March 13, Kyodo

Japanese authorities have confirmed there was an explosion at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant Saturday afternoon but said it did not occur at its troubled No. 1 reactor, brushing off concerns that the quake-triggered problem could develop into a catastrophe.

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/77204.html


Not that I believe them, just sharing. I think it's a lot worse than is being reported.

 

[peeples]

Yep no biggie we're just handing out Iodide tablets for fun!

 

[JBean]

Reminder: Using Websleuths to promote any mass campaign must go through Tricia for approval.

 

[tehcloser]

I think they don't want Tokyo panicking........but that's just me, lol.

 

[peeples]

Tepco has announced it has decided to prepare for controlled releases to ease pressure in the containments of all four units at Fukushima Daini.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Battle_to_stabilise_earthquake_reactors_1203111.html

All four of them now... things are not good over there.. not at all

 

[Quiche]

IAEA can only report facts confirmed by Japanese authorities...

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/n...nts-curb-IAEA-s-role-in-Japan-s-reactor-drama

 

[peeples]

IAEA can only report facts confirmed by Japanese authorities...

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/n...nts-curb-IAEA-s-role-in-Japan-s-reactor-drama

Sadly I don't believe much of what japanese authorities are saying to the public

 

[Quiche]

Sadly I don't believe much of what japanese authorities are saying to the public

Yep, they're playing down the dangers, for certain.

I'm going to check the wind directions... brb


eta: Sendai station is not reporting... I should have guessed that.

 

[Melanie]

Sadly I don't believe much of what japanese authorities are saying to the public

I don't think they want to panic the public which is understandable, but not reality. It's like saying "everything is fine, but here -- take one of these tablets". You have to look at the physical action (tablet distribution) to know what the reality is.

WOW!

Mel