Japan Earthquake: Fallout May Not Be Over

Update: New York Times: "Ryohei Shiomi, an official with Japan’s nuclear safety commission, said that a meltdown was possible at one of the two Daiichi reactors, The Associated Press reported."

As the dimensions of disaster in Japan become more measurable there, and with tsunami warnings fading into advisories here on the U.S. West Coast, a new threat is emerging to both Japan and California: nuclear radiation.

In a fast-changing situation, five nuclear plants in Japan are in emergency situations and at least two are having trouble dealing with containing radiation. Some radiation has been released on purpose to relieve pressure, but the dread word "meltdown" is being spoken. Thousands of people have been evacuated specifically because of the nuclear plant threat. In a worse if not even worst case scenario, lots of radiation would be released into the air, and might well go right out to sea and over the ocean to us here on the West Coast. This situation is fluid and could become critical within hours.

As for the tsunami situation here, the Humboldt Bay area experienced three foot surges, with possible damage to boats. Crescent City to our north however got 8 foot waves, and their harbor suffered significant damage to infrastructure and vessels. One man is presumed drowned, swept away by a tsunami wave at the Klamath River. Three others were also swept away but survived. Here's the Mercury-News summary. Here's a photo-diary at Kos from Crescent City indicating that damage to boats will cripple the fishing fleet there. Hawai escaped major damage.

Things here at least seem to be going quickly back to normal, the tsunami a day's episode, with emergency plans apparently having worked efficiently in the at-risk areas. But nobody much is yet aware of the possible threat of nuclear radiation that might follow a similar path of the tsunami, from Japan to us.