Powerful earthquake hits Fukuoka and Northern Kyushu, over several million people...

**Maciamo** · Mar 20, 2005, 11:45

... scared. It is too early to assess the casualities, but the ground was cracked in central Fukuoka and debris fell off many buildings.

The earthquake occured at 10:55am (JST) this Sunday and hit the prefectures or Saga and Fukuoka at a magnitude of 6 weak and 7 at the epicentre in Northern Kyushu.

The Shinkansen has stopped. Waiting for more info.

**Brooker** · Mar 20, 2005, 11:51

We just did breaking news on that here at the TV station where I work. They're worried about tsunamis, but I think it's unlikely to hit here.

**-Rudel-** · Mar 20, 2005, 11:51

I hope the best for them. Usually when one Earthquake starts anywhere near the "ring of fire" a bunch of others occur. I just hope one does not hit Okinawa anytime soon. The Kyushu is the closest group of island closest to here.

**TheKansaiKid** · Mar 20, 2005, 14:07

I am always amazed at how well Japanese structures resist most earthquake damage.
How it was reported here

**Dutch Baka** · Mar 21, 2005, 04:32

i have never been in an earthquake but next year i will for sure feel some tremors and earthquakes... im getting afraid a bit.... but yeah... just go under the table or a small room isnt....

my girl live in kobe and felt the 1995 one... man im happy i wasnt in that one....

**Brooker** · Mar 21, 2005, 05:43

Did anyone on this forus experience this earthquake? Someone here must be living in Kyushu.

**Sensuikan San** · Mar 21, 2005, 06:25

Originally Posted by TheKansaiKid

I am always amazed at how well Japanese structures resist most earthquake damage.

I'm not. It's all about flexibility.

Having worked in construction design for over 40 years now, having a long interest in these matters .... and living where I do, on the Canadian West Coast ... I can (re)assure you that some of the most advanced research and development in the world on seismic design is constantly taking place in Japan.

It's not that complicated in concept - it's all about "damping" shock .... just like the shock absorbers on your car. Building shock absorbers to stop a skyscraper from tumbling is .... a little more involved! But it's being done. They're just bigger, that's all!

It's being done in California, Oregon, Washington and BC too ... not to mention parts of Mexico, Italy, Turkey and pretty much everywhere that seismic actvity takes place. (Possibly 20-40% of the projets I get involved with every year in Vancouver are "Seismic Upgrades"). But possibly the "aces" in this regard are the Japanese.

Regards,

ジョン

**Brooker** · Mar 21, 2005, 06:29

Originally Posted by Sensuikan San

It's being done in California, Oregon, Washington and BC too ... not to mention parts of Mexico, Italy, Turkey and pretty much everywhere that seismic actvity takes place. (Possibly 20-40% of the projets I get involved with every year in Vancouver are "Seismic Upgrades"). But possibly the "aces" in this regard are the Japanese.

Trouble is, here in Seattle and other areas on the West Coast that get infrequent but very powerful earthquakes, that it's not taken seriously and prepared for enough because we don't get frequent reminders that we should be doing something about it. We're slated for a monster earthquake and I think it'll be bad news when it happens - much worse than in Japan because we're less prepared for it. Gotta live for the moment, I guess.

**Sensuikan San** · Mar 21, 2005, 06:36

Sadly - what you say is perfectly true.

It's gonna happen ........ !

Regards,

ジョン

**janimagee** · Mar 21, 2005, 07:16

Hi, I`m in Kyushu, in fact Nagasaki and we really felt it here. First I heard a roar and the house started rocking and the wind chimes hanging in the house were ringing. It was a very soft rocking motion, not jarring and rough (I`ve been in a lot of earthquakes growing up in anchorage alaska) My husband was in a school gym in Saga and he said that he started to feel seasick from all the motion. They stopped the karate tournament he was participating in for 30 or 4o minutes, they were checking things hanging from the ceiling (speakers and lights) to make sure that they were still secure. Around fukuoka seems to have lots of structural damage, broken windows and road cracks and sidewalk upheavals. It was scary!!! I spent the day watching the news and trying to slow down my heart...

**rahul bhatnagar** · May 17, 2005, 19:05

hello friends,
i am doing research in predicting earthquakes specially in japan for last 6 yrs.i have now developed a method in which i can predict earthquakes in japan in 70% cases.
I AM THE ONLY PRESON WHO PREDICTED NIIGATA EARTHQUKE IN JAPAN.I SENT EMAIL TO DIFFERENT SIESMOLOGIST OF JAPAN ON 8TH OCT THAT A STRONG EARTHQUAKE WILL OCCUR IN JAPAN ON 21 OR 25 OF OCT 2004 OF 6.0 TO 7.0 ON RICHTER SCALE IN HONSHU ISLAND WHICH OCCURED ON 23 OCT 2004 OF 6.8 ON RICHTER.
but no one believed me.I HAVE PROOF OF THOSE EMAILS SENT TO SEISMOLOGIST IF ANYONE WANT THOSE EMAIL DO EMAIL ME ON rahulbhatnagar2k2@yahoo.co.in

MY NEXT PREDICTION ON JAPAN IS THERE WILL BE A STRONG EARTHQUKE IN JAPAN ON 20 OR 22 MAY 2005 IN
SOUTH WESTERN JAPAN OR EAST OF HONSHU 6.0 to 7.0 ON RICHTER SCALE.

**Sensuikan San** · Jun 16, 2005, 10:33

.... because .... here on the West Coast - it did happen !

Originally Posted by Brooker

Trouble is, here in Seattle and other areas on the West Coast that get infrequent but very powerful earthquakes, that it's not taken seriously and prepared for enough because we don't get frequent reminders that we should be doing something about it. We're slated for a monster earthquake and I think it'll be bad news when it happens - much worse than in Japan because we're less prepared for it. Gotta live for the moment, I guess.

Well - following a Richter 7.0 'quake offshore .... tsunami warnings were posted from Mexico to Alaska.

The Californians responded, it seems ...

In Oregon they responded ... it seems ...

In Washington they responded ...

.... in British Columbia ..... we .... we ... we fell on our asses!

Even the chief media sources weren't informed ...!

A couple or three smaller towns on the West Coast of Vancouver Island were "in on it" - thanks to the Fire Department going door to door (!) ... but ...

... I work in an office on an Island in the middle of the Fraser river... in the delta ... I didn't even know about it until I saw the evening news - long after the alert was lifted !

I'm pretty mad about our Canadian version of "a sense of emergency"!

Views from any other Vancouverites ?

Perturbed ... but still dry and alive ....

ジョン