A magnitude 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan causes damage, but not as much as the resulting tsunami that's affecting other countries as well.
Stephen Shankland
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
A magnitude 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan today sends a tsunami ashore into a residential area in Natori, in the Miyagi Prefecture of northeastern Japan.
Editors' note: This slideshow was updated at 8:10 a.m. PT with additional photos.
2 of 11Darren Gubbins/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom
Cars on edge of collapsed road
Two cars hang precariously on the edge of a collapsed roadway in Yabuki, in southern Fukushima Prefecture.
3 of 11Fukushima Minpo/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom
Factory building collapsed
In Sukagawa city in Fukushima prefecture, a fire truck stands at the ready by a collapsed factory building.
4 of 11Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43120948@N04/">Hikosaemon</a>
Traffic jam
Masses of people headed for home as here, in Tokyo's Akasaka district, on foot or stalled in traffic jams.
5 of 11NOAA
Tsunami timeline
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued this estimate of when the tsunami would reach various parts of the world.
6 of 11NOAA
Tsunami propagation
More vividly, NOAA used a computer prediction system to forecast tsunami wave heights from the Japanese earthquake.
7 of 11NOAA
Tsunami warning for North America
NOAA's tsunami warning for the west coast of North America.
