What would happen if an earthquake & Tsunami of this magnitude was off California?

robkinuk
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robkinuk
Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 10:01am
Watching the awful devasation in Japan from the Tsunami following a massive earthquake got me thinking. What if this had happened off the coast at Los Angeles?
How far inland do you reckon the wave would reach? Would it get as far as say Anaheim stadium?
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huck
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huck 3/14/2011 12:45pm
3/14/2011 12:45pm
The trash would be taken out...
flarider
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flarider 3/14/2011 12:46pm
3/14/2011 12:46pm
What would happen?

It'd be Obama's fault
and James Stewart's fault
TriRacer27
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TriRacer27 3/14/2011 1:05pm
3/14/2011 1:05pm
We would see tons of women floating around face up and lots of looting. That's about the only two things that would be different between LA and Japan.
dcmx326
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dcmx326 3/14/2011 1:16pm
3/14/2011 1:16pm
We would see infinitely more damage in California.

Japan spent billions designing their buildings to resist quakes and I am sure that saved a lot of damage. How much of that has LA done?

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GoldenState54 3/14/2011 2:03pm
3/14/2011 2:03pm
We would be so fucked if a tsunami like that came into the SF bay. No telling how far up the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers that thing would go.
TG130
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TG130 3/14/2011 2:07pm
3/14/2011 2:07pm
With some of the animals that reside in Cali - you'd see one of the worst crime waves ever.
Homey55
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Homey55 3/14/2011 2:11pm
3/14/2011 2:11pm
Not sure there is a fault off the coast of southern California that would cause a Tsunami however there is one off of Mendocino that has caused problems for northern California. The last major Tsunami that California experienced was from an earthquake in Alaska...look up Crescent City and Tsunami and Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Homey55
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Homey55 3/14/2011 2:16pm
3/14/2011 2:16pm
dcmx326 wrote:
We would see infinitely more damage in California. Japan spent billions designing their buildings to resist quakes and I am sure that saved a lot of...
We would see infinitely more damage in California.

Japan spent billions designing their buildings to resist quakes and I am sure that saved a lot of damage. How much of that has LA done?
LA has done a lot. All buildings have been retrofitted to withstand certain magnitude earthquakes. I would think we would fare the same as Japan.
TriRacer27
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TriRacer27 3/14/2011 2:21pm
3/14/2011 2:21pm
Homey55 wrote:
Not sure there is a fault off the coast of southern California that would cause a Tsunami however there is one off of Mendocino that has...
Not sure there is a fault off the coast of southern California that would cause a Tsunami however there is one off of Mendocino that has caused problems for northern California. The last major Tsunami that California experienced was from an earthquake in Alaska...look up Crescent City and Tsunami and Cascadia Subduction Zone.
There's a fault line that runs from the pan-asian islands north of Australia up by china, Japan, around the bering straight, and down the west cost of North and South America.
Homey55
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Homey55 3/14/2011 2:29pm
3/14/2011 2:29pm
Homey55 wrote:
Not sure there is a fault off the coast of southern California that would cause a Tsunami however there is one off of Mendocino that has...
Not sure there is a fault off the coast of southern California that would cause a Tsunami however there is one off of Mendocino that has caused problems for northern California. The last major Tsunami that California experienced was from an earthquake in Alaska...look up Crescent City and Tsunami and Cascadia Subduction Zone.
TriRacer27 wrote:
There's a fault line that runs from the pan-asian islands north of Australia up by china, Japan, around the bering straight, and down the west cost...
There's a fault line that runs from the pan-asian islands north of Australia up by china, Japan, around the bering straight, and down the west cost of North and South America.
That's the Pacific Plate...The San Andreas Fault Line is part of that plate. We might get a new mountain range or the coast of Southern California might move North rather than a Tsunami.
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jmar 3/14/2011 4:17pm
3/14/2011 4:17pm
No way it would even come close to Anaheim, and I think LA would take it better than what you saw from Japan. The major damage in Japan was in areas where the topography contained the water and it had no where to go other than up. Coves created by mountains is where the major damage is going to occur.
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TerryB 3/14/2011 4:21pm
3/14/2011 4:21pm
TG130 wrote:
With some of the animals that reside in Cali - you'd see one of the worst crime waves ever.
All the more amazing that there hasn't been one report of looting (just heard that on CBS) in Japan. People are calm, patient and kind to one another in the face of an unimaginable disaster.

That wouldn't happen here
mx295
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mx295 3/14/2011 4:27pm
3/14/2011 4:27pm
I live on the east side of the San Andreas Fault. When the big one hits i'll have ocean front property.
JustMX
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JustMX 3/14/2011 5:47pm
3/14/2011 5:47pm
Unless I am misunderstanding what happened, the earthquake itself didn't actually cause many of the problems.

It is the tsunami that followed that did the damage and caused the loss of life. Even the Nuclear problems were caused by the tsunami because it knocked out the backup cooling pumps.

As far as the freak zone known as California, here is how that would play out.

People like Charlie Sheen would get their last headline. (fill in the Blank) ______________ missing after beach house destroyed


Whoever is president will be blamed for reported Cannabilism (after 48 hours).

We would see government ineptitude on a scale never imagined.

Riots and looting would be absolutely unbelievable. It would be like something out of a road warrior movie.

rescue personel like firemen and EMT's would require armed escorts.

Sean Penn would launch his humvee to help in the rescue but would run out of gas 5 miles in and be beaten to death by a mob for his shoes.

Life flight copters would be grounded so they wouldn't interfere with the news copters.

The legislature would pass a tax and require permits for all future tsunamis.

Celebrities would refuse to use emergency balnkets because they have never heard of the designer, "red cross".

Media would report that the quake shifted the US/Mexican border north 250 miles, because it feels like the right thing to do.
JustMX
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JustMX 3/14/2011 5:52pm
3/14/2011 5:52pm
And of course the governement would commit to rebuilding everything, just like it was.
GoldenState54 3/14/2011 5:56pm
3/14/2011 5:56pm
California may have it's problems but I think when it comes to natural disasters we come together and get it done.
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Scotty 3/14/2011 6:21pm
3/14/2011 6:21pm
huck wrote:
The trash would be taken out...
fuck off Smile
jmar
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jmar 3/14/2011 6:22pm
3/14/2011 6:22pm
Japaneses have always been known for their honor and integrity.

I wish we here in the US could learn from them.

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TripleFive 3/14/2011 7:39pm
3/14/2011 7:39pm
jmar wrote:
Japaneses have always been known for their honor and integrity.

I wish we here in the US could learn from them.
Seconded.


I bet you won't see much looting, if any at all in Japan. A lot of trash in America, I'll leave it at that.
borg
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borg 3/14/2011 7:46pm
3/14/2011 7:46pm Edited Date/Time 3/14/2011 7:47pm
An 8.9, 80 miles offshore would probably do similar damage to California but some of our most dangerous faults are directly under heavily populated areas. If an 8.9 went off under Tokyo, the devastation would be immense. The greatest amount of damage in Japan so far was caused by the tsunami.

In LA, the majority of housing in rural areas is stucco over wood frame. The wood frame houses have the ability to bend and flex. Some of the plaster and stucco might come down but most of the structures would probably stay. There are areas with older masonry type buildings, either brick or cinder block. I would not want to be in one of those. The newer steel frame high rises also have to ability to bend and flex.
I'm also ashamed to admit that looting would be widespread. Not a doubt in my mind.
Homey55
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Homey55 3/14/2011 7:57pm
3/14/2011 7:57pm
JustMX wrote:
Unless I am misunderstanding what happened, the earthquake itself didn't actually cause many of the problems. It is the tsunami that followed that did the damage...
Unless I am misunderstanding what happened, the earthquake itself didn't actually cause many of the problems.

It is the tsunami that followed that did the damage and caused the loss of life. Even the Nuclear problems were caused by the tsunami because it knocked out the backup cooling pumps.

As far as the freak zone known as California, here is how that would play out.

People like Charlie Sheen would get their last headline. (fill in the Blank) ______________ missing after beach house destroyed


Whoever is president will be blamed for reported Cannabilism (after 48 hours).

We would see government ineptitude on a scale never imagined.

Riots and looting would be absolutely unbelievable. It would be like something out of a road warrior movie.

rescue personel like firemen and EMT's would require armed escorts.

Sean Penn would launch his humvee to help in the rescue but would run out of gas 5 miles in and be beaten to death by a mob for his shoes.

Life flight copters would be grounded so they wouldn't interfere with the news copters.

The legislature would pass a tax and require permits for all future tsunamis.

Celebrities would refuse to use emergency balnkets because they have never heard of the designer, "red cross".

Media would report that the quake shifted the US/Mexican border north 250 miles, because it feels like the right thing to do.
Ever heard of Rodney King? This scenario has already happened, Martial Law was declared and LA was a war zone. Hurricane Katrina had some of these problems too.
JustMX
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JustMX 3/14/2011 8:18pm
3/14/2011 8:18pm
Homey55 wrote:
Ever heard of Rodney King? This scenario has already happened, Martial Law was declared and LA was a war zone. Hurricane Katrina had some of these...
Ever heard of Rodney King? This scenario has already happened, Martial Law was declared and LA was a war zone. Hurricane Katrina had some of these problems too.
Geez,

Uh, who is this Rodney King you speak of?

There was looting after Katrina on top of the cannabilism?

Please tell me more captain obvious

Motodude
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Motodude 3/14/2011 11:43pm
3/14/2011 11:43pm
California might be next...the pacific rim has quaked everywhere but the US. Many would be happy to see Hollywood fall into the ocean.
ehr400
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ehr400 3/15/2011 4:36am
3/15/2011 4:36am
Honestly motodude Australia could be in for a hell of a Tsunami as well from the quake if it happened off the cali coast. There wouldn't be as bad of tsunami damage as japan according to nat geo. Hawaii and further west could be hit pretty hard though.
Homey55
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Homey55 3/15/2011 7:20am
3/15/2011 7:20am
JustMX wrote:
Geez, Uh, who is this Rodney King you speak of? There was looting after Katrina on top of the cannabilism? Please tell me more captain obvious...
Geez,

Uh, who is this Rodney King you speak of?

There was looting after Katrina on top of the cannabilism?

Please tell me more captain obvious

Obviously your post was meant as a joke but some of the things on your list have happened in the past after a natural disaster. I'm not sure why you are calling me captain obvious.

I'm not trying to be a dick and I was simply pointing out that Fire and EMT's did require a police escort, riots and looting were unbelievable and the government lost control of the situation and declaired Martial Law...and not only in California. What happened in Japan and how those people are helping eachother is nothing like the way we would help eachother around here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baa3eWEBNwkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Njg4eB_Mfk
Grendel
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Grendel 3/15/2011 2:21pm
3/15/2011 2:21pm
Same usual sociopaths not-so-secretly rooting for the deaths of thousands. These forums attract some sad and miserable excuses for human beings.
Grendel
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Grendel 3/15/2011 5:40pm
3/15/2011 5:40pm
Try reading the posts of the people who aren't.
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TokioMX 3/16/2011 2:24am
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jmar wrote:
No way it would even come close to Anaheim, and I think LA would take it better than what you saw from Japan. The major damage...
No way it would even come close to Anaheim, and I think LA would take it better than what you saw from Japan. The major damage in Japan was in areas where the topography contained the water and it had no where to go other than up. Coves created by mountains is where the major damage is going to occur.
You are correct. That's what scientists are saying too.
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72kiteboarder 3/16/2011 6:15am
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Death Valley would be the new Great Salt Lake of Death Valley.
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txmxer 3/16/2011 7:45am
3/16/2011 7:45am
huck wrote:
The trash would be taken out...
Seriously?

huck wrote: Cheering about a young kid getting slammed down and possibly killed is a new level of fucked up, in my book. It's not like these kids were adults...or even teenagers...

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