Huge Quake hits Indonesia

[Disco]

The quake happened under the Indian Ocean causing tidal waves up to 20 feet high. 10,000 possibly killed.

Yahoo News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20041226/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_earthquake_36)

[muttley]

That's terrible! I've just seen the pictures on the news - makes you realise just how lucky we all are! :(

[Shinzon2004]

Yeah it s so sad....according to news reports so far 11,300 people have been killed!Man where is Superman when you need him?!

Anyway lots of good people were lost today.May them all rest in peace.

[Jellie]

yea who would have thought at this time of the year that the worst earthquake in history would erupt its very sad

[axisoftime]

Its the most powerful quake in 40 years-not in history.Strong enuff though-however u catagorize it.Just goes to further prove theres really no safe place to live.Whether its snowstorms here in the midwest-hurricanes in Fla-quakes andTornados-which can pretty much happen anywhere,or floods.

[Mysticlies]

It was really depressing to watch footages of people being swept away in the flood. I just wish relief comes soon. It’s always sad to see stuff like this, especially in third world countries. All I can recommend is that those who have the financial capability, to donate to organizations that are going to help people in that region.

[Kal-El Reborn]

my uncle was unfortunately killed in india from the tsunami

[Disco]

Death toll said to be around 21,000-23,000.
Originally posted by Kal-El Reborn
my uncle was unfortunately killed in india from the tsunami
You mean this past one from the quake?
Not that it matters.... sorry about your uncle :(.

[Kal-El Reborn]

yes it was this tsunami

[Disco]

damn!

:(

[wellingwisher]

I'm really sorry about your uncle. I just read the news about the earthquake and I am in shock. I hope that everyone here will join me in saying a small prayer for all of the people and the victims of yesterday's events. May they all be blessed and find some relief soon to ease their pain.

[axisoftime]

And now the death toll is above 22000-with the possibilty of thousands more.Over a million homeless and they just said crocidiles are attacking people in the streets.And drinking water is urgently needed.What a devastating disaster,and on Christmas yet!

[Disco]

OMG!!!!

The death toll is now 44,000!!!

This is so unreal.

I just heard something good though.

A baby... just a couple months old was sleeping on a mattress when the tsunami hit. She was swept out but floated back in still on the mattress safe and sound :).

[PsychoSupes]

My sincerest condolences, prayers, and optimism to all who have lost loved ones in the Asian earthquakes/tsunami.

[Disco]

I can't bear to give death toll updates anymore. Each day is worse and worse by the tens of thousands.

My prayers go out to all the loved ones of those who have perished.

[Unbreakable Lex]

This is going to be one of the worst natural disasters in the history of our world.

[David Ford, RPD]

Originally posted by Unbreakable Lex
This is going to be one of the worst natural disasters in the history of our world.

I think you're right. There arre know some reports that both the axis of the Earth and the lenght of day (which obviously tie together) have been altered by the quake.

It's good to see so many folks, from all over the world, pouring in money to help stabilize the place. The threat of a pandemic is, sadly, still huge. Damn this sucks :( :(

[axisoftime]

Ive heard more then 1 reporter call the situation beyond words.Even Bush said it was indescribable.The death toll could top 100,000.And then with the lack of clean water and general lack of sanitary conditions,many thousands more will die.The news reports are hard to even watch-ive seen truckloads of bodies going by.Some havent ate in days-what devistation.

[Kal-El Reborn]

what caused this?

[axisoftime]

Do u mean what caused the tsunami?An earthquake at sea that displaced the water,causing it to recede from the shore,and then being rereleased in huge waves.

[Disco]

The quake was a 8.9-9.0 which is pretty major. It actually changed the face of the earth by slightly shifting the nearby islands.

[DarkseidX]

So I hear!
Its such a tragedy what has happened.

I really hope there are more survivors.:(

[Sharkie]

Here is some good news.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/breaking/quake/29animals.html

[upupandaway]

in the Aceh province of Indonesia - that's where Whitney kicked the bucket

[Disco]

Originally posted by Sharkie
Here is some good news.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/breaking/quake/29animals.html

It asks me to login.. what does it say?

[Sharkie]

In Sri Lanka, there have been no animal casualities in their national park.

[Disco]

Oh... I guess the parks are far enough away from the shoreline.

[kal-el03]

well i live in indonesia for now, im in jakarta i didnt feel a thing the quake went the one way, lucky. But i feel bad for the people,seeing a 20feet wave coming at u at 700km/h...

Did u guys and girlz hear it moved the indian plate (plaque in french) by 36 meters!!! That's huge!!

im french sorry dunno how to say plaque in english

death casualties is at 70 000 now

[Sharkie]

Originally posted by kal-el03
im french sorry dunno how to say plaque in english The stuff that move and the breaks are fault lines?

[Disco]

You got it right kal-el... it's called a plate. The earth is made up of them.... in between the plates lies the fault lines. When the fault lines break apart or shift then it moves the plates which then cause all kinds of things to happen.

[PsychoSupes]

Scientists have been predicting plate tectonic shifts since 1912, when Alfred Wegener theorized that all of Earth's continents were once a massive "protocontinent" called Pangea (i.e. all lands). Although earthquakes cannot be precisely predicted, the aftermaths of one can be calulated. Why is it that no one who had been studying this South Asian area could have calculated or predicted this tsunami based on the warning signs? I'm in the anger/bargaining phase of my emotions dealing with this tragedy. I just need to know, was there any way people could have been warned before this happened? By all accounts and news coverage, everyone was caught off guard and suddenly succumbed to the massive magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami.

"The real tragedy is that although you cannot predict an earthquake, you can predict a tidal wave that might follow, but the meteorological department failed to inform anyone about this," says Jehan Perera, media director of the National Peace Council, reached by phone in Colombo, Sri Lanka. "The earthquake took place around 7 a.m. our time and the tidal wave came in around 9 a.m. That's enough time to give people some warning."
quoted from: http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1227/p01s02-woap.html

[Disco]

Actually they would have known about the tsunami if they had the right equipment. I believe it was stated they could have had a 2 hour warning prior to the wave coming ashore. Unfortunately they were not set up for tsunami warnings from earhquakes like some other countries.

They didn't have a warning system because tsunamis are rare in that region. Since the warning systems cost a lot of money it was not hight on their priority list.

India is now in the process of getting the system set up.

[Sharkie]

I saw on the news last night that the Hawaii center for geology did detect it, but they couldn't warn anyone about it.

[Disco]

I found THIS (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041230/ap_on_re_as/tsunami_india_missed_warning_2) report on Yahoo News.

[Unbreakable Lex]

CNN has a timeline up. The Hawaii thing only noticed it after an Austrailian station picked up the earthquake and reported it to the Tsunamis center. By the time Hawaii issued the Tsunamis warning, only Africa had time to react.

[Disco]

The timeline mentions the followings:
1:14 a.m. GMT
The tsunami warning center in Hawaii sent a bulletin to nations that participate in the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific (ITSU). India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are not members of the system.
2:04 a.m. GMT
A second bulletin was sent, alerting nations that the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 8.5. The bulletin said the ITSU nations did not face the threat of a tsunami, but did cite the possibility of a tsunami near the quake's epicenter.
It's a shame... I think every coastal area will make sure they have proper equipment now.

[axisoftime]

While its great that the U.S. is giving 350 million dollars,i wonder how they come up with it so quick and why more cant be spent on helping people here.There are still many suffering from Floridas hurricanes,as well as many struggling to pay their bills.Too bad over 200 Billion is spent on a pretty much senseless war!

[Lovely Wood Elf]

It's nearing 150,000 dead now....I feel SO bad for those people.....I wish they had some type of warning... :(

[Disco]

Originally posted by axisoftime
While its great that the U.S. is giving 350 million dollars,i wonder how they come up with it so quick and why more cant be spent on helping people here.There are still many suffering from Floridas hurricanes,as well as many struggling to pay their bills.Too bad over 200 Billion is spent on a pretty much senseless war!
It's not just America. There are many countries who have and still are contributing. It's just America has the biggest resources and is expected to help in everyway they can.

For anyone wishing to donate here is a link to various relief funds.

http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

[Disco]

Originally posted by Disco
OMG!!!!

The death toll is now 44,000!!!

This is so unreal.

I just heard something good though.

A baby... just a couple months old was sleeping on a mattress when the tsunami hit. She was swept out but floated back in still on the mattress safe and sound :).
They showed the baby on the news. Unfortunately his parents died... a 5 year old brother survived.

[Unbreakable Lex]

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/3.html

This site has some very disturbing before and after satellite images.

[truemeathead]

That's crazy, the west coast has that tsunami warning system set up for the BIG ONE in CA as for the money-there was a natural disaster in Tempe the rent and multiple other bills had to be payed accepting donations through the Mendoza needs help fund.

[TVHOG]

I think the US will donate/pledge more money when the time is right. From what ive heard, they want to make sure the money is going to be handled correctly and the people will get the help they need. The UN wants to handle the money and they have not done a good job of that in past disasters. I do think it is a shame that Saudi-Arabia and other oil rich nations have not pledged more. Thats just not right.

[Kal-El Reborn]

tectonic plates is only a theory
we do not know what causes earthquakes(this tsunami was cause by a sea earthquake) so scientist can only assume that it was a shift of the tectonic plates until we know the true cause of earthquakes and tsunamis
(HOPEFULLY SOON)