Sure would be given that an 8.9 quake only releases 1.4 EJ of energy while a 9.0 releases 2 EJ, an equivalent difference of about 100megtons... or in other words, about 4800 times the energy released in the nuclear attack on Nagasaki.

I'd say the Chilean's earned 5th.

 

It's another helicopter flying lower than the one taking video. You can see it coming in from the left.

 

Dang, turns out haircutter dude has numerous family+friends in the Iwate+Sendai area. Says he's unable to contact them cuz phone+cell lines are down. Guy is taking it much better than I would, but guess that's part of his fam lineage. Won't violate his privacy by elaborating, but his fam is sorta revered over there.

 

It was off Hilo, on the Big Island.
Flooding on Maui and the Big Island, too.

As for the reports of an aftershock near Tokyo, yeah, there was one over there (as opposed to the others near Sendai). A bunch of friends had to walk 2, 3 hours to get home; others just couldn't go home because the trains were down and they commute into Tokyo from the 'burbs and sticks. A friend of mine who couldn't go home just decided to go down the bar near her office and ride it out there -- I knew I always liked the way she thinks.

Another friend, his family lives in ***ushima and he's worried sick about the nuclear power plant there. Man, it really sucks.

 

Shiggy just posted on Facebook that their news is reporting 1300 either died or missing so far Also said Another earthquake at Nagano.

 

Yeah, Niigata prefecture got hit earlier today, too.

 

So did I. So bad......

 

How would Hilo be affected? I could see Kona, but dunno. Either way my pops reported that they are "high and dry" in Hilo but I am not sure if that is an elevation or a state of mind in this case. Either way he lives up Kaumana so it's waaay out of the way, but as far as I know even bayfront and all that was okay.

 

Did anyone mention that Kilauea started getting pissed a week ago, got REALLY pissed on Wed, and then the earthquakes started in Japan yesterday? Crazy seismic activity. Hope it doesn't make it's way to this end of the Rim.

 

When did it stop getting pissy? It blew a chunk out of the caldera when I was back home living in Hilo in '05 and I thought it had been pumping since. People get freaked out when it STOPS because that means pressure is building. Got some pretty nutty pics, but was ill-equipped so they are not super clear. Basically we were watching a glowing red hole with steam powering out of it up in the park (humidity in the surrounding air being instantly atomized) but down Kalapana side if you drove out on Chain of Craters and then took a long walk, you could literally see lava bursts shooting out of the ground.

 

More pissy than normal pissy.

 

It was a separate small quake off Hilo, from what I heard. Not a tsunami directly related to the Japan quake (unless you count the Ring of Fire connection). Kailua-Kona did get some flooding though as a direct result of the Japan earthquake. Apologies that I didn't make it clear.

 

Oh no the news is reporting that something at the nuclear plant exploded

 

****. I was just watching that a few minutes ago and it sounded like they were gonna get it under control. If that sucker blows we're looking at a Chernobyl. That stuff is dangerous and nasty with a 30 year half life.

If that isht gets blown toward Tokyo they're in deep trouble.

 

They said the levels are high and they are evacuating everyone with in 3 miles and up to 10 telling everyone to get in doors and cover all windows with wet towels.

This from shiggy on Facebook

Shigenori 'Shiggy' Ara yes, outside of building is exploded. government ordered all workers there to evacuate. no one will be working to stop it. count down to ruin..

He updated this am and said the explosion didn't harm the internals and so far that's ok. They are evacuating people as a safety measure incase it does go later and to be safe incase it is leaking.

My prayers go out to everyone in Japan