Japanese earthquake and tsunami

Just seen the footage of the awful damage done to the eastern coast of Japan. Just when we techies think we can do and solve anything, along comes mother nature to quickly take us down a peg or two! I hope the loss of life and damage is a lot less than 26/12/04.
My sympathy and best wishes to all those affected.
Croz

It will probably get worse before it gets better.

Time to put a hospital ship in Tokyo Bay but.......
Who wants to place an asset that large stationary.
Too good of a target for the same people that knocked down the
Twin Towers in NY.
Maybe it is best to just let the military that is already in Japan deal with the problems as best they can.
Field Hospitals, water plants and field kitchens to name a few.
They have a bunch of tents, I know, I slept in one for 6 months.
Not too bad if you get a wood floor in it.
Regards Walt...

It is amazing the effect it has on other parts of the world...

Last night I was out on the water around midnight doing a job and the tide turned an hour before it was supposed to..

The latest republican budget cuts Tsunami preparedness. If people don't see the wave coming, too bad for them.

Possibly John, but when your numbers up, it's up,............... unless Americans know better

I was watching the footage come in late last night with my mouth hanging open. Has to be some of the most insane stuff ever captured in history.

Well, here's one guy who has NEVER believed that techies can do and solve everything.

I'm just numb with sadness for all the thousands that lost their lives and the hundreds of thousands who had their entire life shattered. Makes you feel small and insignificant, doesn't it? We wallow in a luxury that many of the victims can't even begin to grasp, and now they have lost everything...

John Welden said:

The latest republican budget cuts Tsunami preparedness. If people don't see the wave coming, too bad for them.

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I doubt you would see it anyway from where your heads at.

Tom

The last budget, that didnt pass, but virtually every republican voted for, wanted to cut NOAA. Within NOAA is the Tsunami Research division, which does things like maintains and monitors offshore buoys. It also has scientists who study how Tsunamis work, what the undersea topography is off the coast of the USA, and devises predictions of what an earthquake in a likely place will do. From this, we devise evacuation plans, emergency procedures, and in general are more prepared.

I suppose you could just say, when your number is up, its up- but it seems to me that if you CAN have 6 hours of advance warning, it might be better.

During the big Tsunami in Indonesia a few years ago, it came out that due to budget cuts and corruption, as well as theivery, most of the offshore tsunami detection buoys the Indonesian government had were not working- 230,000 people died in that one, and there is no way of knowing how many would have been saved by even 15 minutes of advance notice.

So it seems to me to be a pretty sound investment to study tsunamis, and maintain a warning system.
That is what will be cut, among other things, at NOAA, under the budget being proposed.

There used to be a political party in the USA called the Know-Nothings.
Sometimes I think they may have returned...

The Japanese have one of the most strict sets of building codes and flood zoning laws in the world- more damn government intervention in private affairs, some would say.
But due to all that government intervention, no skyscrapers in Tokyo collapsed, during an 8.9 earthquake.
Somehow I dont think we would do so well here.

John Welden said:

The latest republican budget cuts Tsunami preparedness. If people don't see the wave coming, too bad for them.

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That's the kind of no-think socialist bullshit that underscores the lack of rationality among the hands-out crowd.

Once again John, you prove that when it comes to a battle of wits, that you come to the fight unarmed! Provacatuers are seldom left standing at the end.

Just a brief moment of lucidity would reveal to even you, that there are thousands of things that have a far greater impact on the struggling taxpayers of America than your damned little water sirens at the wildly inflated emplementation costs that only progressives can conjure up!

John, just what is the total loss-of-life statistic on humans in the US due to Tsunami since 1776? Do you have any capacity to recognize priority?
Screw your head on a little tighter, before you break the forum rules regarding poli-poop! You're not good enough at this to keep starting fights!

Other than that, luv ya' man......

....aw jeez, an' here I am sidin' with 67cuda.......Laudy, jus' take me now............

Bob

Some of you guys are too freakin' much! I swear, you take an opportunity to sympathize with other people's terrible misfortune and somehow turn it into a political statement.
Why not just come right out and say it!?!? Alright, I will...George Bush did this. He created the tsunami and the republicans and evil Dick Cheney caused the cataclysmic devastation and Halliburton was behind it because now they can pocket more profit by Japan's...........

You guys a out of your damn mind! And you are just bitter. Do your wives piss in your corn flakes EVERY day?

I do feel that this is a terrible event. Imagine how much worse it would have been if they did not have structurally sound buildings! To see that wave surge just engulf the entire landmass was absolutely unbelievable.

Say some prayers for these people as it definately will be much worse before it gets better as mentioned.

Grant

Fact of the matter is - the existing system worked extremely well on the Oregon coast.

Reverse 911 calls were made to residences within an hour of the earthquake - calls were targeted to addresses in flood plains. Sirens were sounded hours before the waves could trigger buoys. The only thing the buoys do is measure what "really" happened out in the ocean this time. . .

The only loss of life that I am aware of in the US is due to stupidity - specifically related to going to the beach to get some photos of the waves. I hope the camera was water proof.

All that aside - there is a huge loss of life in Japan - and no doubt the numbers will climb for weeks. They have their hands full looking for people, trying to shut down nuclear reactors and taking care of the wounded. It will be interesting to see how many countries jump in to help them out compared to the Indonesian tsunami in 2006.

I have watched the news very close for the laast few hours.
I had some thoughtful comments to make regarding what was happening.
But then I read the comments contained in this thread and I have declined to comment further.
A disaster strikes and someone makes it political.
Bull shit.
No regards Walt.......

John Welden said:

The latest republican budget cuts Tsunami preparedness. If people don't see the wave coming, too bad for them.

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Not really. We've already finished upgrading our Tsunami warning system - Layer 8: US completes advanced tsunami warning network

Take note that the work was done during an evil Republican administration. And in true political fashion, requested budget increases that aren't realized are classified as budget cuts.

NOAA's requested budget for this year is over $5.6 billion. Their budget for 2010 was $4.5 billion. In 2005 their buget was $3.4 billion (which they overspent by $500,000,000.00), so it isn't like we aren't "investing"

NOAA could postpone construction of a new $1.1 billion dollar satellite to better take the earth's temperature, or they can lay people off to save money out of their $14 million dollar budget for Tsunami and severe weather monitoring.

If you were being forced to cut out over $1 billion in spending, which would be more effective? (remember the gov't is broke)

John Welden said:

The latest republican budget cuts Tsunami preparedness. If people don't see the wave coming, too bad for them.

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You and my brother would get along really well. His xmas letter of two years ago, among other things, was bemoaning California's plight. He said businesses in the state need to pay more taxes! This is to provide a larger saffffety net for all the unfortunates. Let's see, one of daughter’s friends from high school has four kids, all from different fathers. Never been married, "rents" brand new 2,000+ sq.ft. home from my brother-in-law. Was only working part-time to pay for her SUV (reg. in mothers name) Said she was planning on "retiring" onto welfare by age 31 after paying it off. Well it's paid-off, just had the fourth brat. She said she is now "retired". Yep, raise those taxes, she needs that safety net.

Robert Campbell Jr. said:

That's the kind of no-think socialist bullshit that underscores the lack of rationality among the hands-out crowd.

Bob

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That's why the antisocialists live down in the uninhabitable desert with a mountain range between them and the tsunami (i.e. Pacific Ocean moderating a habitable climate) Only the San Andres and Landers are right next door. But there are no warning buoys needed when the big one comes. Who needs NOAA in hell anyway?

First of all thank you Swiss Pro for some factual information on the non issue that John Welden raised.

I really found it interesting to hear that "maybe" the reason the water that inundated portions of the eastern coast of Japan is not receding is the land may have been lowered permanently. This was a major earthquake, possibly the fifth largest in the world since 1900 and quakes this large do rearrange the earth a bit when they happen. Hopefully this is not the case, but if so I guess the Dutch could help out a bit in reclaiming the lost farm land.

There was an expert on Fox news tonight from the Pacific NW. He discussed how a large quake is about due for the Seattle/Portland area and I doubt we would fare as well as the Japanese infrastructure did. I worry about this because we have several relatives in that area of the country.

Robert Campbell Jr. said:

That's the kind of no-think socialist bullshit that underscores the lack of rationality among the hands-out crowd.

Once again John, you prove that when it comes to a battle of wits, that you come to the fight unarmed! Provacatuers are seldom left standing at the end.

Just a brief moment of lucidity would reveal to even you, that there are thousands of things that have a far greater impact on the struggling taxpayers of America than your damned little water sirens at the wildly inflated emplementation costs that only progressives can conjure up!

John, just what is the total loss-of-life statistic on humans in the US due to Tsunami since 1776? Do you have any capacity to recognize priority?
Screw your head on a little tighter, before you break the forum rules regarding poli-poop! You're not good enough at this to keep starting fights!

Other than that, luv ya' man......

....aw jeez, an' here I am sidin' with 67cuda.......Laudy, jus' take me now............

Bob

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Are you retarded?

I was only pointing out the kind of things the republicans want to cut and what a joke it is. Until they cut defense spending, I can't take them seriously when it comes to balancing the budget.