News Update: Japan & Hawaii

At 2:46 local standard time a devastating earthquake tore through Japan. The 8.9 magnitude quake lasted for about two minutes and caused great damage due to aftershocks and a 23 foot tsunami that soon followed. 

The end result was fires sweeping through cities and rushing waters full of debris including cars, buildings, and other deadly materials. The quake is said to be largest in Japan history and shook dozens of cities along a 1,300 mile stretch of coast. The death toll currently stands at 1800 but is expected to spike in the upcoming days as many are still missing including 9,500 people from a single town of 17,000. 

Various cities were completely wiped off the map and most are impossible to reach to find survivors. 

Officials declared the first-ever state of emergency at a Japanese nuclear power plant and ordered evacuations after at least 9 residents were exposed to radiation from the power plant leakage. 

They said radiation levels inside the facility had surged to 1,000 times more than normal. Some radiation had seeped outside the plant, the nuclear safety agency said early Saturday, prompting calls for more evacuations of the area. 

Some 3,000 people have already been urged to leave their homes.

The devastation is far from over and is estimated to take at least 15 years until Japan is back to normal. 

President Barack Obama pledged U.S. assistance following what he called a potentially "catastrophic" disaster. According to Obama, one U.S. aircraft carrier is already in Japan and a second was on its way. 

An U.S. ship was also heading to the Marianas Islands to assist as needed, Obama added. The tsunami hit Hawaii before dawn Friday, with most of the damage on the Big Island. The waves blasted through beachfront roads and rushed into hotels. 

Buildings were picked up and carried out to sea. Low-lying areas in Maui were flooded by 7-foot waves. On the U.S. mainland, marinas and harbors in California and Oregon received the most damage, estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Boats crashed into each other in marinas and some vessels were washed out to sea.

We here at HipHipJunkiez.com will continue to keep those affected by tragedy in our thoughts and prayers. 

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