BS: Earthquake in Hawaii

Subject: BS: Earthquake in Hawaii
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Oct 06 - 06:16 PM

From the Associated Press:

"The quake hit at 7:07 a.m. local time, 10 miles north-northwest of Kailua Kona, a town on the west coast of the Big Island, said Don Blakeman, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center, part of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Blakeman said there was no risk of a Pacific-wide tsunami, but a possibility of significant wave activity in Hawaii.

The Pacific Tsunami Center reported a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, while the U.S. Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.6. It was followed by several strong aftershocks, including one measuring a magnitude of 5.8, the Geological Survey said."

There are reports of casualties, but communications are difficult right now.

Subject: RE: BS: Earthquake in Hawaii
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Oct 06 - 07:05 PM

According to google, the governor has declared a state of emergency.

Subject: RE: BS: Earthquake in Hawaii
From: Ebbie
Date: 15 Oct 06 - 07:56 PM

It sounds bad.

Subject: RE: BS: Earthquake in Hawaii
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Oct 06 - 06:40 AM

From what I could find on web news, it appears that there was some damage to a few buildings. Some injuries were reported, but not confirmed. There had been no reports of deaths, and the main problems people were concerned about were loss of power, which was apparently widespread, and some difficulties with telephone communications.

One source suggested potential damage to many bridges and similar structures, with the biggest problem being inspection of the many that could have been damaged even though they expect to find few, if any, that actually will have been rendered unsafe. Apparently a couple of major roads were blocked by slides, but they seem not to be causing a lot of concern.

An early warning about the possibility of high waves in the area was lifted about 4 hours before the predicted time of arrival. Although a few people evacuated (or were moved) to higher ground, there appears to have been no significant wave effect.

Official assessments seem rather sparse, and most of the news reports quote only individuals who've communicated with mainland friends and relatives. Most indicate "inconvenience" more than danger.

Hopefully even the inconvenience will be brief, and no serious injuries or major damage will be found; but we'll keep sending our best hopes and wishes in their direction.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Earthquake in Hawaii
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Oct 06 - 07:16 AM

The news report I heard was concentrating more on WHAT COULD have happened, rather than what actually DID happen.... so no-one here is much the wiser. Lots of 'there could have been a tsunami but there wasn't' stuff... scaremongering after the fact. Even more stupid than plain ordinary scaremongering.

Hope injuries, deaths and damagae were minimal.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Earthquake in Hawaii
From: Ebbie
Date: 16 Oct 06 - 12:13 PM

I remember the first earthquake I experienced. It was April 1949 and I was in school. So far as I know, we had no actual damage but it was scary. Seattle, about 400 miles away, was the epicenter and they had some toppled chimneys and suchlike.

Reminds me of how I felt that day- that the earth could open up and swallow us whole. A loss of innocence, in a way.