38) Japan's tsunami debris headed for West Coast, then Hawaii

Japan's tsunami debris headed for West Coast, then Hawaii

By Associated Press

POSTED: 08:34 a.m. HST, Mar 29, 2011

SEATTLE; A Seattle oceanographer says some debris from Japan's tsunami and earthquake may wash up on the West Coast in about one to three years, before currents carry it towards Hawaii. 

Curt Ebbesmeyer says how fast the flotsam arrives depends on the material. A derelict vessel could take 12 months, while a rubber ducky may take two to three years.

He says the floating debris will likely flow in a big circle, carried by currents from Japan to Washington, Oregon and British Columbia before turning toward Hawaii and back toward Asia.
 

Most of the debris will be plastic items. Heavier items like cars will sink. Ebbesmeyer and another scientist have been mapping the path of ocean debris for years and he wrote a book about the research.

A local firefighter stands amidst debris in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami-destroyed city of Rikuzentakata, northern Japan Friday. A Seattle researcher says debris from Japan will reach the West Coast in one to three years.(AP Photo/Kyodo News)

Tsunami Debris Fields Challenges Rescuers

Mar 17, 2011 

Tsunami Debris Field - U.S. Pacific Fleet

Videos of the massive 9.0 Richter scale earthquake that struck northeast Japan last week show that mandatory adherence to Japan's rigid earthquake sensitive building codes had largely protected structures from earthquake related damages. Sure, some structures failed under the stress of the powerful earthquake but thanks to Japan's building codes and practices widespread destruction, like that experienced in Haiti last year, was not evident.

Earthquake Destruction Serious but Contained - Tsunami Destruction Catastrophic

Unfortunately, while the earthquake damage was contained and manageable the destruction caused by the tsunami was of horrifying proportions. The 30 foot high tsunami that struck northeastern Japan 15 to 30 minutes after the earthquake largely swept away and destroyed everything in its path. The many videos that have surfaced over the past few days vividly show the destructive power contained within a 30 foot high wall of water.

Once tsunami waters flow back into the sea or settle into low-lying land areas the debris fields that they leave behind present a tremendous challenge to rescuers. The debris field contains the twisted remnants of cars and trucks, shattered smashed houses, tons and tons of mud, all sorts of personal belongings, office and household furnishings, and the mangled remains of human bodies, all compacted together in a revolting mixture of what once represented human life on this earth.

Tsunami Debris Fields Challenge Rescuers Physically and Mentally

The tsunami debris fields challenge rescuers in a number of ways. For one thing, the debris fields are extensive, not only in width and length but in depth. The sheer scope of the areas that need to be searched are daunting. It can take many hours for even large teams of 400 to 500 rescuers to search a small area. The work is extremely dangerous in that the rescuers risk being injured by shattered glass, jagged bits and pieces of metal, splintered timbers, the collapse of unstable structures, and the lack of sound footing.

In tsunami-stricken Japan it is not only the risk of physical injury that hampers the search of rescuers. In an earthquake-damaged area like Haiti rescuers could search for victims within the well-defined areas of collapsed buildings. Usually as buildings collapse there are voids left within the wreckage that provide some shelter to victims. Fortunate victims can often survive for several days within such voids and stand some chance of rescue. Experienced rescuers, backed up by highly trained cadaver dogs, have a reasonable chance of locating and rescuing such survivors within the first few days after an earthquake.

The rescue effort in Japan is much more challenging than that experienced in Haiti. With the tsunami homes and business buildings were torn from their foundations, cars and trucks were swept away, humans engulfed by the walls of water were helpless against its power, and the resulting water soaked debris field could be deposited miles from where the first debris entered the water and compacted debris mix. This means that the rescuers are in effect searching through a huge garbage dump like landfill area that has a depth of 10 to 15 feet and that has few voids within. It has to be difficult to be a rescuer when even after a few hours after the tsunami the potential of finding survivors is so low.

In an article in the New York Times titled "Crews Scour Tsunami Zone for Victims" by Michael Wines, published: March 16, 2011 it is reported that some rescuers are experiencing post tsunami stress disorders which along with the risk of physical injury is making the continued search for survivors even more difficult. It must be discouraging and difficult to continue searching for survivors when only the dead bodies of victims are being found.

Blizzard Adds to Rescue Challenges and Misery of Survivors

In late winter Japan, the weather is adding to the rescuer's challenges. A blizzard and very cold weather is blanketing the search areas making visibility poor and working conditions even more dangerous and miserable. It's like Mother Nature is ashamed of the chaos and deadly effect that has been brought on by the tsunami. Blanketing the debris fields with pure white snow makes terrible conditions for the rescue teams and survivors even worse but it does cover up the horrible sight of massive landfills that likely contain unknown thousands of human remains.

However, snow-covered debris fields offer no consolation for the families of victims. Eventually the snow will melt and the horror and sorrow of the tsunami debris fields will remain. The task of search and rescue will soon become one of recovery only, awaiting the use of heavy construction equipment to begin restoring the landscape. It is a task that will take years to complete.