Earthquake Preparedness Information Guide » Earthquake Preparedness News — Earthquake Preparedness Information Guide

Magnitude-7 Earthquake Strikes Near Java, Indonesia

quakeadmin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:56:07 +0000

A magnitude-7 earthquake struck near Java in Indonesia at 2:55 p.m., sparking panic in Jakarta about 200 kilometers (120 miles) away. At least 10 people were killed in a landslide in Cianjur in the western part of the island, the National Disaster Management Agency said on its Web site.

The quake hit at a depth of 50 kilometers off the south coast of Java, Indonesia’s most populous island, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. It’s the strongest since a 7.5-magnitude earthquake in India’s Andaman Islands on Aug. 10, according to USGS.

The quake struck close to the epicenter of a 7.7-magnitude temblor that hit in July 2006, leaving 730 people dead and generating a tsunami, according to the USGS.

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Magnitude 6.5 Quake Jolts Japan

quakeadmin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:09:19 +0000

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan earlier Thursday, but analysts said it is unlikely to have any effect on the country’s stock market.

The earthquake, centered near Hachijojima Island south of Tokyo, raised a tsunami warning but appears to have caused little damage. It followed another strong earthquake in Japan on Tuesday.

Japan’s Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry says that there were no reports of damages to the country’s power plants.

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Second Japanese Earthquake in Days Injures 100

quakeadmin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:18:14 +0000

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck central Japan early Tuesday morning, injuring more than 100 people, setting off a tsunami warning and swaying buildings 90 miles away in Tokyo.

The quake struck at 5:07 a.m. Tuesday off the coast of Shizuoka prefecture, 90 miles southwest of Tokyo, and was centered about 14 miles underground, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency immediately issued a tsunami warning for parts of Japan’s Pacific coast. Small waves of around 16 inches reached Omaezaki and other coastal towns in Shizuoka before the warning was lifted about two hours later.

The quake was the second strong tremor to strike Japan in as many days.

Late Sunday, an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.9 struck further off the Pacific coast, jolting a swath of central and eastern Japan. But neither appeared related to a powerful quake that experts say is due for the Tokai region, centered on Shizuoka, which could also damage Tokyo.

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Strong Earthquakes Off India and Japan

quakeadmin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:12:45 +0000

Strong earthquakes have struck off the coasts of India and Japan, prompting tsunami warnings in both regions.

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale has struck in the Indian Ocean off India’s Andaman Islands.

The quake has triggered a tsunami watch for India, Burma (Myanmar), Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.7, was 33km deep and was centred 260km north of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.

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Earthquakes Hit Japan, Rattling Buildings in Tokyo

quakeadmin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:57:07 +0000

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 shook central Japan early Tuesday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, though major damage wasn’t immediately reported.

A tsunami advisory for Japan’s southeastern coast was put in effect Tuesday morning local time, the agency said. The advisory has since been lifted. The agency also reported a smaller aftershock shortly after.

The quake rattled buildings in the nation’s capital. Japanese television reported that bullet trains had been halted.

The quake struck at 5:07 a.m. with an epicenter in Shizuoka prefecture, about 105 miles southwest of Tokyo. Two nuclear reactors in the area were suspended, though no damage was reported, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. Electrical service in the area wasn’t interrupted, the broadcaster said.

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Strong Earthquake Hits Off Northwest Mexico

quakeadmin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:34:42 +0000

A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Baja California in northwestern Mexico on Monday, shaking buildings as far away as San Diego, California, and raising fears of a small tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck inside the Sea of Cortez, 76 miles 122 km from the town of Santa Isabel on the Baja California peninsula and was 6.2 miles 10 km deep. The figures were revised from its initial estimates.

There were no initial reports of deaths or serious damage. Baja California, home to desert and mountains, is sparsely populate

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5.9 Quake Rattles Taiwan, No Reports Of Damage

quakeadmin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:10:41 +0000

An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale rattled south Taiwan Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 12:53 a.m. (5:53 p.m. British time) was about 37 km (23 miles) west of Hengchun on the island’s southern peninsula, at a depth of 62 km, the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

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4.7-Magnitude Earthquake Hits New Zealand South Island

quakeadmin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 04:12:31 +0000

An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand’s Southland area early Saturday morning, but there have been no reports of injuries or damage so far, the GNS Science said.

The quake, occurred at 1:28 a.m. (13:28 GMT Friday) hit 80 km west of Te Anau at a depth of 12 km, the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences reported.

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Earthquake Reported In Lincoln County

quakeadmin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:38:05 +0000

Another earthquake has rumbled parts of Lincoln County.

It happened at about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday night near Carney. That’s about ten miles northwest of Chandler and about 65 miles west-southwest of Tulsa.The Oklahoma Geological Survey reports the quake had a magnitude of 3-point-3 on the Richter scale. Several people reported feeling the quake, but there are no reports of damage.

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Venezuela Shaken by 4.6 Earthquake

quakeadmin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:33:54 +0000

An earthquake of 4.6 magnitude shook oil-rich northwestern Venezuela on Wednesday but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, authorities said.

The quake occurred at 1525 local time (1955 GMT) southwest of the city of Punto Fijo, said Francisco Garces, head of the local seismological center Funvisis.

“So far we’ve received reports that it was felt strongly … but we’re monitoring the situation to see if they report any damages,” said Garces.

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