andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2004-09-05 01:32 pm

It's the end of the world!

Following years of waiting for the next earthquake to hit Japan and reduce the world economy to rubble, one's finally hit!

The quake, which struck shortly after 1900 (1000 GMT), had a magnitude of 6.8 and was centred in a remote area some 50km (30 miles) off the coast of Japan.

The quake made tall buildings in central Tokyo sway, the AP news agency reported, but there were no official reports of injuries or damage.

There are reports of a 50cm (20in) tidal wave off the coast of the Kii peninsula, south of Osaka.


50cm.

"Oh My God!  The tidal wave has dampened my lower trouser legs!"

As [livejournal.com profile] trashcanglam just said:

It's hardly 'The Day after Tomorrow' is it?  As this terrifying tsunami laps over your feet. Well, the Japanese are very small, to them it probably looks like it's 12 storeys high. The poor little mites


The whole terrifying story can be found here

[identity profile] stillcarl.livejournal.com 2004-09-05 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
Umm - it's just a typical, moderate earthquake story. Any over 5 generally get a small report in the papers. We had a 7.1 about a year ago. Could've done a lot of damage if shallow enough and in the right place - it just wasn't. Which is the thing about quakes. You just never know... (So don't be so disappointed;)

[identity profile] stillcarl.livejournal.com 2004-09-05 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
But ask yourself why anyone would think a 50cm wave would be noticed. They ain't the same as other waves...

[identity profile] cheekbones3.livejournal.com 2004-09-05 07:37 am (UTC)(link)
A 50cm wave out at sea could grow to be huge in the shallows depending on its direction of travel - they may have been lucky!