Kagoshima residents told to prepare to evacuate as volcano warning for Sakurajima raised

[yuiyoshida]

Source: THE ASAHI SHIMBUN


Residents of parts of Kagoshima city were warned to prepare to evacuate Aug. 15 as the Japan Meteorological Agency said a major eruption of volcanic Mount Sakurajima could be imminent.

The agency raised its warning to Level 4, the first time it has done so for Sakurajima since the volcano warning system was introduced in 2007.

The warning level affects residents in the Arimuracho and Furusatocho districts of Kagoshima city. The districts are located within 3 kilometers of two volcanic vents, and face the possibility of being inundated by volcanic cinders or covered by pyroclastic flows.

Agency officials said 30 volcanic tremors were recorded between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Aug. 15, centered in the vicinity directly under the Minamidake vent.

Read more: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201508150025

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also: http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150815p2a00m0na003000c.html

[Control-Z]

1. Sakurajima is located 50 or so kilometers

from the Sendai nuclear power plant, which began resuming operations on Aug. 11 after clearing stricter safety hurdles in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Damn. They can't seem to catch a break.

[TexasTowelie]

2. They wouldn't have to ask me twice to evacuate.

They wouldn't have to ask at all because I'd be getting the heck out of there fast.

[vlakitti]

3. Jesus Christ!

Thanks for the information. That's really scary. I live within 100 yards of one of the main branches of the Hayward Fault in the East Bay and hearing this stuff causes a pretty queasy feeling here. And I feel deeply for the people of Arimuracho and Furusatocho districts of Kagoshima city, who have to agonize over this situation. May they escape this.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. I know there is at least one nuke plant on a fault line in Ca.

That was in the back of my mind the whole time I lived there.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. There are at least a couple of California nuclear plants on or near faults

Diablo Canyon and San Onofre are the two that immediately come to my mind.

[Lodestar]

4. World map showing all the currently active volcanoes....WOW!

I don't know enough about this subject to determine how common it is for there to be so much activity, but it sure looks like a LOT!

http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-map.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Hey, you....good to "see" you.

Thanks for that link.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. There are 110 active volcanoes in Japan alone

http://www.data.jma.go.jp/svd/vois/data/tokyo/STOCK/kaisetsu/katsukazan_toha/katsukazan_toha.html

[brer cat]

5. Very scary.

My heart goes out to the people of the area. I hope they can escape this peril without loss of life.

Thank you, yuiyoshida, for keeping us informed. K&R

[bananas]

8. Japan raises warning level on volcano not far from nuclear plant

Japan raises warning level on volcano not far from nuclear plant

Source: Reuters

Japan warned on Saturday that a volcano 50 km (31 miles) from a just-restarted nuclear reactor is showing signs of increased activity, and said nearby residents should prepare to evacuate.

Sakurajima, a mountain on the southern island of Kyushu, is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and erupts almost constantly. But a larger than usual eruption could be in the offing, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

<snip>

The agency also said it had raised the warning level on the peak, 990 km southwest of Tokyo, to an unprecedented 4, for prepare to evacuate, from 3. Roughly 100 people could be affected.

Japan on Tuesday restarted a reactor at the Sendai nuclear plant, some 50 km from Sakurajima. It is the first reactor to be restarted under new safety standards put in place after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Critics have long pointed out that the plant is also located near five giant calderas, crater-like depressions formed by past eruptions, with the closest one some 40 km away.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/15/us-japan-volcano-idUSKCN0QK02J20150815

[FBaggins]

9. Some minor eruptions today

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150819_16.html