Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

[bjd392]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

That shouldn't matter to some of the self-proclaimed humanitarians in here that gave other people problems for their stance on Haiti; unless we're saying that those hundreds of lives are insignificant because they had more preparation. Case dismissed.

[naunca]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

BJD392,

There's really no way to compare what happened in Chile with Haiti. While the earthquake that hit Chile was stronger, it was farther from a population center and caused far fewer building collapses. I think the death toll in Haiti was up to 20,000 this long after the event; last I saw on the news Chile was at 300-400.

Chile also has a long history of earthquake preparedness and is for most purposes a "first world" country with a functioning emergency services system and government. I would be surprised if Chile made any requests for help beyond some specialized equipment and skill sets.

[LikaNui]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

I mentioned earlier that there could be pulses of activity for another day or two. Well, it's midnight-thirty and I just got home from playing music at an oceanfront home owned by John Morgan across from the old sugar mill at his Kualoa Ranch. We got there about an hour before sunset, and when I arrived the ocean was flat inside the reef about 300 yards offshore. But moments later rocks and coral heads started popping up as the water receded. It got dry almost clear out to the reef. Two minutes later the water rushed back in, rising about 3' and submerging all the rocks and coral heads. This happened about 4 or 5 times, then stopped. About 45 minutes later the cycle started again, then stopped. An hour or so later it happened again, and that continued until I left around midnight. East to see it all under that gorgeous full moon.
As I wrote earlier, anyone swimming or surfing or kayaking for the next couple of days is a certifiable suicidal masochist. Don't mess with Mother Ocean.

[bjd392]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

A hurricane is a no-BS trackable weather event with known disasterous conditions with ample warning and plenty of time for evacuation. Hurricanes in that region are traditionally dangerous. If someone wants to stay through that, it's still tempting the fate of Darwinism. It's almost as dumb as Harry Truman on Mt. St. Helens, but it was his choice.

The last dozen earthquakes to hit the Pacific Rim of any sizeable magnitude didn't do much to Hawaii, if anything. If a max 13-20 ft swell rushes through, it won't stay that long. It's not like a lingering hurricane is approaching Hawaii with prolonged impact. As mentioned, with this 8.8, and the earlier mentioned higher magnitude quake, Hawaii's impact was minimal.

[helen]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

This is not a non-event tsunami. It did happen, granted no one got hurt nor did the water level rise enough to flood inland, but if nothing was done there would be damage to boats and ships that were docked at their piers. As it stands there was enough time for those vessels to head out to open ocean to ride out the tsumami.

[Adri]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

Well, it's good to take these things seriously. Far better to take it seriously and have nothing happen than to get caught totally by surprise and be unprepared in case it did happen.

I wouldn't mind so much if people choose to exercise their own choices and then don't endanger anyone else asking to be saved. Like the people who stayed when Katrina hit way past the warning to get out deadline and then begged for someone to come rescue them when it really happened.

[bjd392]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only one who doesn't worry about all this non-event tsunami drama.

Although I will say it's been greater than 24 hours, and I haven't been bombarded with relief aid pleas for Chile yet. I guess humanitarians deem them less deserving.

Besides, the "surfer schmuck" should be allowed to stay out in the ocean if he so desires. It's his life and his fun time. If he wants to drown, then that's the consequence of his choice.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

Is today National Tsunami Day?
What's the name of today's Tsunami?

[cyleet99]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

I filled up WaterBob...now have to use up a bathtub full of water. I guess that's a good problem to have!

[Adri]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

I belong to a listserv where someone on the mainland posted that his cousin was surfing in the water during the warning period and got captured on camera. I wonder if that "fecalcephalic" person (man, I love me some Howard Dicus) was his cousin? Oops.

[tutusue]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

Who knows? The guy may make it on the Jay Leno Show.

And the guy who started the FB page will probably end up on Ellen!!!

[Pomai]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

Who knows? The guy may make it on the Jay Leno Show.

At 11:15a, someone on Facebook started up a page: "The idiot who was swimming in Waikiki during the tsunami warning". It was mentioned on the news and now has over 4300 fans...in slightly over 5 hours!!! The shmuck touched a nerve! And, yes, I became a fan!

ETA...Howard Dicus' take on the "shmuck"!

[tutusue]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

There WAS someone in the water, right in Waikiki! A surfer! He was paddling out about 10.45am (right before D-time). It was captured by the Waikiki beach citycam, which was pointed towards the surf in the middle of Waikiki.[...]

At 11:15a, someone on Facebook started up a page: "The idiot who was swimming in Waikiki during the tsunami warning". It was mentioned on the news and now has over 4300 fans...in slightly over 5 hours!!! The shmuck touched a nerve! And, yes, I became a fan!

ETA...Howard Dicus' take on the "shmuck"!

[Pomai]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

I think if there had been people in the water, we'd have had some swimming accidents, maybe fatalities.

There WAS someone in the water, right in Waikiki! A surfer! He was paddling out about 10.45am (right before D-time). It was captured by the Waikiki beach citycam, which was pointed towards the surf in the middle of Waikiki. It was shown on Hawaii News Now, where a broadcaster named Taizo called him out as a "shmuck" or "idiot" or something like that. The other news team folks were egging him after that.

Eventually the HFD helicopter dropped in directly above this "shmuck" surfer and ORDERED him in. Which he obliged. Shmuck. lol

[buzz1941]

Re: Chile Earthquake and Tsunami Warning for Feb. 27, 2010

I think if there had been people in the water, we'd have had some swimming accidents, maybe fatalities.