I just survived a 7.1 quake off the coast of Tokyo

[DaveinJapan]

Yikes. Things were a bit tense for a few moments, I actually ran to grab my daughter and stand in the door frame just in case.

Apparently no damage nor fatalities (thankfully!).

No hubris here, I have NO illusions about the danger and power of earthquakes even in "safe" places, but man you've got to give the Japanese some serious props for their meticulous construction and rigorous inspections...a 7.1 off the coast of many other places would mean nothing short of disaster!

[brer cat]

1. Glad you are ok

Hope there are no bad aftershocks. Hugs to you and your family.

[DaveinJapan]

4. Thanks very much!

Living in a quake zone can be tense, that's for sure (I've also lived in tornado zones and hurricane zones over the years...no way to quantify which is more of a mindfreak but quakes just come on so fast...ugh). Appreciate the good wishes! Everything's fine here if a tad shaken up. :)

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Yikes! That must have been terrifying...

So glad that you and your family are okay! I live in NY, no worries about earthquakes here (snow, blizzards, ice storms, black ice, wind warnings, flooding, but not earthquakes... :eyes:). However, quite a few years ago we had a small one. I will never forget how frightened and vulnerable I felt. I also went into the closet, but with my dog. He was the one who warned me, came up to my bed, shaking like a leaf, and as soon as I wondered what was wrong, I began to feel it... :scared:

A belated welcome to DU, so glad that you're with us, and not just today... ;) :hi:

[hedgehog]

2. I was just looking at an MSNBC article about an hour after the quake -

no news is good news. It sounds as if the Japanese have spent their money wisely.

Earthquakes don't kill people; man made structures collapsing during earthquakes kill people.

On edit - I forgot to ass I'm glad you and everyone else seems OK. If there's no damage, earthquakes can be weirdly fun.

[DaveinJapan]

5. Weirdly fun?

Yeah, I used to feel that way. Now that I have a kid though..not so much. :yoiks:

Good wishes much appreciated in your addition! Thank you!

[Spinzonner]

15. There's probably also the random falling tree

Not to mention floods and landslides associated with natural formations

[malaise]

3. Just heard a report on GEM$NBC

And yes -Japan takes quakes seriously

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Reuters link:

TOKYO (Reuters) - A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 jolted central Japan on Sunday, halting some train services briefly but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The lengthy quake, felt across the capital just before 8 p.m. (7 a.m. EDT), prompted railway services to halt some high-speed services briefly while tracks were checked, national broadcaster NHK said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The tremor was centred 340 km (210 miles) deep under the sea south of Tokyo but, based on a Japanese scale of ground shaking from the Japan Meteorological Agency, it was unlikely there was much damage.


http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5780MP20090809

[Kind of Blue]

8. Whew! I'm glad you and your daughter are fine.

I live in SoCal and the minor tremors can make me nuts. Your calm and action lets me know how Not to react.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. CNN Link: Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes Japan coast

(CNN) -- A strong earthquake struck off the south coast of Japan on Sunday night local time, "jolting Tokyo and wide areas of eastern Japan," the country's Kyodo news agency reported.

The 7.1 earthquake hit 200 miles (320 kilometers) south-southwest of Tokyo at 7:55 p.m. (6:55 a.m. ET), the United States Geological Survey reported.

Its epicenter was 188 miles (303 kilometers) deep, the USGS said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported its magnitude as 6.9, Kyodo said.

There were no immediate reports of damage, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/09/japan.earthquake/

[angstlessk]

10. I am so happy that there are brave people in the world...if everyone was like me

we would have invented the hut and all would retire there and never come out. Living in Japan seems to be the best place in the world in which to experience an earth quake of any magnitude!. Glad you and your lucky (I say lucky cause you are a brave daddy) daughter are safe.

[EFerrari]

11. So glad you are all right.

:grouphug:

[ShamelessHussy]

12. phew, that is scary... I survived the Kobe quake in 95

I was on the 9th floor of a 14 story tenement building... it was Jan 17, 05:46 (a year to the day of the cali Northridge quake)... my wife, kids (5 and 2 yo) and I were all sleeping in 1 one room on the tatami, my mother was visiting at the time in another room... the shaking was so violent I thought we were all gonna die, I quickly put my body on top of my family as everything was falling from the shelves and I was sure the building was next going to fall.

It is hard to talk about even now, but I can testify to the sturdiness of Japanese modern construction of their highrise buildings, and I will be thankful to their strict attention to detail in this area to my dying day as no one in my family was seriously injured in the quake and we flew back to America 5 days later.

some details on the Kobe quake here...
http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/fall95/p95a29.htm

I am very glad to hear you are safe and that there isn't much damage as a result of this large quake. :toast:

[Hepburn]

13. Wow....

...glad you and your family are OK! :hug:

[Warpy]

14. Survival advice has changed

and the next time Mother Earth reminds you you're standing on liquid, dive under a sturdy table or desk. It affords much more protection from falling ceiling debris than a door frame does.

[DaveinJapan]

16. Thanks all for the kind words and advice.

And now, a typhoon approaches (seriously!). :scared:

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. Glad no injury to you or damage.

[Onlooker]

18. Wow

What you wrote is so immediate I can almost sense your relief.

[caseymoz]

19. 7.1? That must have felt like God was knocking on the door. nt