Note: This post has several updates. Scroll to the bottom for the latest.

Original post: Ominous flash from Kyodo Wire:

The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant reported an abnormality Friday following a powerful earthquake which hit a wide area in northeastern Japan including Fukushima Prefecture, the industry ministry said.

The system to cool reactor cores in case of emergency stopped at the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., it said.

There are reports that the Japanese PM will declare a nuclear emergency.

Update: There's no evidence of any radioactive leakage, but officials have confirmed that the cooling process for the nuclear plant has not yet gone according to plan.

Update 2: Japan has declared a nuclear emergency.

Update 3: 2000 residents near the Fukushima Nuclear Plant have been urged to evacuate.

Update 4: According to reports, Japanese jets have been ordered to fly over the Fukushima Nuclear plant

Update 5: According to Reuters, a Dam has broken in the same region as the at-risk nuclear power plant.

Update 6: The owner of the plant, TEPCO, says the reactor pressure is rising, and there are risks of a radiation leak, according to Reuters.

Update 7: Now the trade minister says a leak is possible.

Update 8: Word is, Japanese authorities will release a small amount of radioactive vapor into the air to ease pressure.

Update 9: Japan just expanded the evacuation range from 3 KM to 9 KM, says Reuters.

Update: 4:29 PM ET: Anti-nuclear expert Kevin Kamp explains the nightmare scenario in Fukushma, via Forbes and the Institute for Public Accuracy:

“The electrical grid is down. The emergency diesel generators have been damaged. The multi-reactor Fukushima atomic power plant is now relying on battery power, which will only last around eight hours. The danger is, the very thermally hot reactor cores at the plant must be continuously cooled for 24 to 48 hours. Without any electricity, the pumps won’t be able to pump water through the hot reactor cores to cool them. Once electricity is lost, the irradiated nuclear fuel could begin to melt down. If the containment systems fail, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur.

“In addition to the reactor cores, the storage pool for highly radioactive irradiated nuclear fuel is also at risk. The pool cooling water must be continuously circulated. Without circulation, the still thermally hot irradiated nuclear fuel in the storage pools will begin to boil off the cooling water. Within a day or two, the pool’s water could completely boil away. Without cooling water, the irradiated nuclear fuel could spontaneously combust in an exothermic reaction. Since the storage pools are not located within containment, a catastrophic radioactivity release to the environment could occur. Up to 100 percent of the volatile radioactive Cesium-137 content of the pools could go up in flames and smoke, to blow downwind over large distances. Given the large quantity of irradiated nuclear fuel in the pool, the radioactivity release could be worse than the Chernobyl nuclear reactor catastrophe of 25 years ago.”

Meanwhile, Kyodo is reporting that local radiation levels are 8 times more than normal.

Update 4:43 PM: Now according to Kyodo, radiation is measured at 1000x normal.

Update 5:05: The entire world is now watching the Fukushima plant. Here's a llink to a satellite image of the plant, just to get some more perspective on where this is.

 Fukushima:

Update 5:33: Both reactors at the plant have been damaged, and officials say they have "lost control" of the pressure, according to Reuters.

Yup, looks like it already exploded. May God have mercy on all of them over there, and all of us that could be affected by it.

 

If a large amount of radiation is released into the atmosphere, the prevailing winds will carry it eastward.

Hey, wait a second, why do you say eastward?  The Chernobyl radiation went to the west.

Come on, that is hardly a state of emergency in Europe...

How far is Germany and France from the Ukraine, and how far is California from Japan?  I'm guessing that in the latter case, we are much farther away.

Answer: It is 5,478 miles from Tokyo to Los Angeles, and 1256 miles from Kiev, Ukraine to Paris, which was hardly said to be affected by Chernobyl, Jehanne.  Los Angeles is about four and a half times farther away from this potential blast than Paris was from Chernobyl...  Please think carefully before releasing inflammatory and terrifying statements, others are affected.

To say that people may end up with cancer because of this is the same as saying they may end up with cancer because of their cell phones or microwaves.  Do you know a lot of Parisians who are growing tumors because of aftereffects of Chernobyl, or who spend their days worrying about such?  Because they are far closer to that blast than we are to any Japanese blast.

Raoul,

I'd just get out of the OC as quickly as possible no matter what. I wouldn't want to be on the coast if a tsunami hit. Also imagine if for whatever reason the water was cut off from SoCal!!