Get off the beach! Tsunami coming!

[desiv]

We're up over 200' looking at the beach here in Lincoln City, Oregon.
We've seen some higher and lower tides than we should be seeing normally.
We've seen some good sized waves, but luckily, that's about it so far.
The Tsunami Warning will last several more hours..

We also have seen people ON THE BEACH...  8-O

No Darwin Awards this time tho..  
** Almost a Darwin Award..  Couple in Southern Oregon walking on the beach was caught by a wave and washed out to sea a bit ago.  They were rescued...  **

desiv

[desiv]

..... and you are making jokes?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=humor+coping+mechanisms

desiv

[desiv]

The Japanese government officially declared a Nuclear Emergency for those reactors.
The main cooling was knocked off-line.  The backup generators we taken out by the Tsunami, so they are cooling with batteries basically, from what I hear.

They released some radioactive steam from at least one of the reactors to aid in its cooling, but apparently nothing that was too high a level...

If they can manage to get the cooling back under control, they should be OK.

It's not likely to become a Chernobyl, but if they can't get it cooled, it could become a 3-Mile Island type of event.

No, IANANS (I am not a Nuclear Scientist), just been googling today.

desiv

[desiv]

One large fact is that the Japanese are incredibly prepared for quakes.

That's one of the reasons I'm more hopeful about the Nuclear Plants situation.
This isn't Russia or even America here (not that I don't have high regard for my own USA.. ), this is Japan.

I think it's likely that they are the best prepared people to handle this type of issue, not just Earthquakes and Tsunami's, but also in dealing with Nuclear issues...
I'd be a bit less optimistic if it happened here..  Could be wrong, but..

When talking about Tsunami here on the Oregon coast, someone asked our State geologist if we were lucky this time.  She basically said yes and no.
Yes, because we got the other end of it.
And no, because if it has happened off of our coast (and we have similar subduction plates), we would be in much worse shape than in Japan because we are much less prepared...

desiv

[desiv]

There is some good news here..

In fact, they are saying now that they believe that they are cooling it now:

Officials said late Saturday that leaks of radioactive material from the  plant, which began before the explosion, were receding and that a major  meltdown was not imminent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/world/asia/13nuclear.html?hp

Of course, it's hard to tell what is actually happening.  
But I'm hoping they've gotten past the critical point and the exposure was minimal.

desiv

[desiv]

>...although that very well could happen.

And by that, you mean that it is very unlikely to happen??

If the effort to cool the nuclear fuel inside the reactor fails  completely -- a scenario experts who have spoken to CNN say is unlikely  --

Do you really think that speculating wildly about unlikely worse outcomes is what's best in this tragedy?  
(I realize that here in America, it seems to be something we excel at..)

Speculation is fine, but you probably shouldn't claim things like "very well could happen" when you really don't know...

Just my opinion...

As I've said, IANANS, maybe you are and I'm off base here?

Could be..

desiv

[desiv]

The american news media outlets only seek to frighten and terrorize you. It was a hoax

Yeah, tell that to the 25 year old in Crescent City man who died after being swept into the ocean.

It didn't hit you very hard.  That's good.
It didn't hit us very hard either on the central Oregon Coast.

But it did affect Southern Oregon and Northern California's coast more...
There was quite a bit a damage to some marina's and multiple people were swept out to sea.  Luckily I believe there was only the one death on this coast...

Does the media try to scare you?  Of course they do...
Does that mean everything they mention is a hoax?  Of course not..

desiv

[desiv]

Anyone care to make further remarks minimizing the potential danger here?

Sure..  because that's how some of us are..
We hope for the best..

Sometimes we're wrong..  I hope not...

I'd rather not worry about how bad it might be when there's nothing I can do about it..

You seem to revel in bringing up the worst possible outcomes..

This is a free country and you're allowed..

But again, I hope for the best, and deal with the worst when it happens..

The quote from you above almost sounds like you're gloating about being right???
That would be sad..  I hope also that it's not the case..

desiv