The fight against San Francisco's proposed circumcision ban

San Francisco's top lawyer has declared that the proposed ban on circumcision as a religious ritual in the city is unconstitutional. In light of a lawsuit which may result in a ban on circumcision for religious reasons, but not medical circumstance, Chief Deputy Attorney Therese Stewart said: "San Franciscans cannot be asked to vote on whether to prohibit religious minorities from engaging in a particular religious practice, when the same practice may be performed under nonreligious auspices."

Last night, after davenning at the Kotel for all my own problems =0), I decided to open Rebbe Nachman's Likkutei Tefilot once more and say whatever prayer appeared on the page to which I turned. As a matter of fact, I opened to Reb Nachman's holy prayer on circumcision. I was reminded by the prayer how crucial circumcision is in the Jewish people's mission in the world, to reveal godliness through shemiras habrit and keeping all of Hashem's commandments:

וּתְרַחֵם עַל כָּל יַלְדֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּכְנָסִין לִבְרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, וְתַזְמִין לְכֻלָּם תָּמִיד מוֹהֲלִים כְּשֵׁרִים וַהֲגוּנִים וְאֻמָּנִים וּזְרִיזִים בֶּאֱמֶת, בְּאפֶן שֶׁיְּקַיְּמוּ מִצְוַת מִילָה וּפְרִיעָה בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵמוּת כִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב, כִּי אַתָּה קִדַּשְׁתָּ יְדִיד מִבֶּטֶן וְצֶאֱצָאָיו חָתַמְתָּ בְּאוֹת בְּרִית קדֶשׁ, וְצִוִּיתָנוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ, לָמוּל אֶת בָּנֵינוּ, בֶּן שְׁמוֹנַת יָמִים, לְהַכְנִיסָם בִּבְרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עַל כֵּן זַכֵּנוּ וְעָזְרֵנוּ וְתַזְמִין תָּמִיד מוֹהֲלִים כְּשֵׁרִים וַהֲגוּנִים וְאֻמָּנִים וּרְאוּיִים לַעֲסֹק בְּמִצְוָה נוֹרָאָה הַזּאת, וְתַעֲמד עַל יְמִינָם וְתִסְמְכֵם, שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ לְקַיֵּם מִצְוָה זאת בִּשְׁלֵמוּת הָרָאוּי, בְּאפֶן שֶׁלא יְקַלְקְלוּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם לְהַתִּינוֹק הַנִּמּוֹל עַל יָדָם רַק יְתַקְּנוּ אוֹתוֹ בְּכָל הַתִּקּוּנִים וְהַקְּדֻשּׁוֹת שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְתַקֵּן וּלְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הַתִּינוֹק עַל יְדֵי מִצְוַת מִילָה, וְיִהְיֶה נִמְשָׁךְ עָלָיו צֶלֶם אֱלהִים, צֶלֶם דְּמוּת תַּבְנִיתוֹ, וְיִזְכֶּה. לִהְיוֹת שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּרִית בֶּאֱמֶת וְלא יִפְגּם בִּבְרִיתוֹ לְעוֹלָם, וְיֵלְכוּ יוֹנְקוֹתָיו, וְיִזְכֶּה לְהוֹלִיד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת חָיִּים וְקַיָּמִים לַעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ וּלְיִרְאָתֶךָ וְיֵצְאוּ מִכָּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל דּוֹרוֹת הַרְבֵּה עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת, וְכֻלָּם יַכִּירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ אֶת שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל, וְיַעֲשׂוּ רְצוֹנְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת כָּל יְמֵיהֶם לְעוֹלָם, לְמַעַן יִתְגַּלֶּה אֱלהוּתְךָ בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עַל יְדֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם בָּחָרְתָּ

And have mercy on all the children of your people, the House of Israel, who enter the covenant of Abraham our father, and arrange for all of them at all times kosher, fit, skilled and agile mohelim in truth, in a way that they will fulfill the mitzvah of milah and priya with perfection as it is Your good will, because you sanctified your comrade from the womb, and his offspring you affixed with the sign of the covenant, and you commanded us with your Compassion to circumcise our sons of eight days, to enter them into the covenant of Abraham our father, therefore help us and give us merit, and arrange for us always kosher, fit, skilled and worthy mohelim to take part in this awesome mitzvah, and stand by their right and support them, that they will benefit and not harm G-d forbid the circumcised infant, only perform all the tikkunim and holiness that they need to perform and sanctify the infant through the mitzvah of milah, and that there be drawn upon him the image of God (tzelem elohim), the image of His character, and that he merit to guard the covenant in truth and not damage his covenant ever, and that his infants will go on and merit to give birth to living sons and daughters who exist to serve and fear You, and that out of every one of Israel come many generations until the end of all the generations, and that all will come to know your Great Name and will do Your will truthfully, all the days of their life, forever, so that Your godliness is revealed in all the worlds by Israel Your people, who you chose from among all the worlds

--

Also, I wanted to add that the San Francisco/East Bay Jewish community was blessed by a holy, humble tzaddik who was also a mohel, Rabbi Chanan Feld. Rabbi Feld performed hundreds (if not thousands) of brises around the state for many years, and was a unique phenomenon like none other. He was at once steeped in Torah and mitzvot and a student of revealed and hidden Torah, and also a presence that inspired appreciation and respect for Judaism among the extremely diverse and largely assimilated Jewish community of Northern California. Shortly before his eldest bore his first son, Rabbi Feld fought a rough battle with cancer, and at the end of 2009, a gem was lost to both his family and the entire Jewish community. I can't help but think that the fight against circumcision is related in some way to the loss of this tzaddik, a figure whose sweetness and love of Hashem poured into his interactions with all Jews, and demonstrated the true spirit of milah, so far from how it is being portrayed in the recent campaign. May the soul of Chanan Velvel Simcha ben Eliyahu be bound up in eternal life with Hashem, and may he pray along with us in shamayim, that in the wake of their troubles that all yidden from the area consider making aliyah, and that all enemies of the Jewish people vanish!

עצו עצה ותופר דברו דבר ולא יקום כי עמנו אל

  
Contrive a scheme, but it will be foiled; conspire a plot, but it will not materialize, for G-d is with us (Isaiah 8)

See also The Threat of Children to Haman-Amalek

 

Police: Santa Monica blast caused by explosive device

UPDATE: FBI: Suspect in Santa Monica synagogue explosion linked to bomb evidence

The blast sent a 300-pound metal pipe encased in concrete hurtling through the air and crashing through the roof of a home next door to Chabad House. Originally authorities had said they believed the explosion was a freak industrial accident.

But on Friday, bomb technicians and detectives scouring the scene discovered evidence that the blast was caused by an explosive device, police said. Items found nearby were linked to Hirsch, who was being sought on state charges of possession of a destructive device and other charges. 

UPDATE: From the official Chabad-Lubavitch Twitter account: "We have confirmed that the explosion at the S. Monica #Chabad house was NATURAL. Possibly linked to construction in the area."

According to the Jerusalem Post, Santa Monica police have reported an explosion on the roof of the Santa Monica Lubavitch Chabad House in Los Angeles at 6:45 on Thursday morning. No injuries have been reported. According to the LA Times, the device is believed to have been a pipe bomb.

From the Santa Monica Chabad website:

In response to news reports of a pipe bomb in our facility.  During morning services today the police department came to Chabad House in response to a report of an explosion.  The men that were praying did not hear or feel anything.  Rabbi Levitansky grabbed on of the new Torah scrolls so they can finish services.  Which they did at the corner of 17th and S. Monica.

Nancy Grace: State of emergency declared in California

Nancy Grace insists that the governor of California governor has declared a state of emergency following the nuclear radiation hazard from Japan. Her weatherman disagrees.

Nancy Grace may not be a scientific authority, but she is asking the questions that no one else is. Last week the IAEA said if the radiation in Japan continues, the health hazard to the US would have to be reassessed. This week temperatures at Fukushima are rising and the radiation continues. Who's reassessing the threat?

Yesterday, the EPA measured an aberration in Hawaii radiation levels:

As of 6:30pm (EDT) preliminary monitor results in Hawaii detected minuscule levels of an isotope that is consistent with the Japanese nuclear incident. This detection varies from background and historical data in Hawaii. This isotope was detected at our fixed monitor in Hawaii, and it is far below any level of concern for human health. The sampling filter from this monitor is being sent to our national radiation lab for further analysis.

California's state of emergency may be complicated by nuclear fallout, but at this point it's weather-related. The governor declared a state of emergency in California following heavy rainstorms across six counties. According to forecasts, the strongest part of the storm is set to hit California Wednesday morning. Two have already died from the storm.

Is California taking the next hit? A few months back, scientists warned of a deadly California superstorm in the state's future. Now a Newsweek columnist says after Chile, New Zealand and Japan, California is next up for a major quake.

And today, March 23rd, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's two tsunami warning centers in Alaska and Hawaii will be simulating earthquake and tsunami warnings along major Pacific ocean fault lines.

Newsweek columnist says Cali Earthquake next

Source: US Geological Survey

Simon Winchester at Newsweek claims that earthquakes come in clusters, and that after Chile, New Zealand and Japan, California is next to be hit by a major quake:

Even more worrisome than geography and topography, though, is geological history. For this event cannot be viewed in isolation. There was a horrifically destructive Pacific earthquake in New Zealand on Feb. 22, and an even more violent magnitude-8.8 event in Chile almost exactly a year before. All three phenomena involved more or less the same family of circum-Pacific fault lines and plate boundaries—and though there is still no hard scientific evidence to explain why, there is little doubt now that earthquakes do tend to occur in clusters: a significant event on one side of a major tectonic plate is often—not invariably, but often enough to be noticeable—followed some weeks or months later by another on the plate’s far side. It is as though the earth becomes like a great brass bell, which when struck by an enormous hammer blow on one side sets to vibrating and ringing from all over. Now there have been catastrophic events at three corners of the Pacific Plate—one in the northwest, on Friday; one in the southwest, last month; one in the southeast, last year.

That leaves just one corner unaffected—the northeast. And the fault line in the northeast of the Pacific Plate is the San Andreas Fault, underpinning the city of San Francisco...There are in consequence a lot of thoughtful people in the American West who are very nervous indeed—wondering, as they often must do, whether the consent that permits them to inhabit so pleasant a place might be about to be withdrawn, sooner than they have supposed.

According to the USGS seismologist Robert Williams, the Hayward fault is more likely to "slip" than the San Andreas fault:

The real threat to the San Francisco Bay region over the next 30 years comes not from a 1906-type earthquake, but from smaller (magnitude about 7) earthquakes occurring on the Hayward fault, the Peninsula segment of the San Andreas fault, or the Rodgers Creek fault.

Couple that with former USGS geologist Berkland's warning of a West Coast earthquake this week.

Meanwhile, an unusually strong earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, between South America and Africa earlier today. A 5.1 earthquake followed in the exact same place.

IAEA: Health hazard to USA may have to be reassessed

- Radionuclides from Fukushima nuclear reactors found in Sacramento, CA (current levels not harmful to human health)

- IAEA expert: If Japan reactor continues to emit radiation, situation "may have to be reassessed"

CNN reports:

A radiation monitor in California has detected a trace of radioactive material from the stricken nuclear power plant in Japan, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization said Friday.

The exact amounts were not available, but the test ban organization's executive secretary, Tibor Toth, said the measurements were below what would be considered harmful to human health.

The treaty organization's chief press officer, Annika Thunborg, said its officials were "absolutely certain" that the radiation detected in California is from Fukushima because the isotypes were consistent with those emitted by the Fukushima reactors, and the timing of their detection is consistent with projections.

...The Sacramento monitor detected minute amounts of radionuclides -- substances that emit radiation -- which had been expected, Toth said.

The EPA, in a statement, confirmed that a monitoring station in Sacramento that feeds into the treaty organization's monitoring system "detected minuscule quantities of the radioactive isotope xenon-133, a gas that is produced during nuclear fission. The origin was determined to be consistent with a release from the Fukushima reactors in northern Japan.

See video at CNN


ABS-CBN News: Fukushima cloud now at Atlantic

The plume from Fukushima has now reached the western Atlantic but its radioactivity is likely to be "extremely low" and have no impact on health or the environment, France's Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) said on Saturday.

"As of yesterday, the cloud covered most of North America and northeastern Siberia. It is currently passing over the North Atlantic," it said, naming French terroritories in the Caribbean and off Canada's eastern coast.

The cloud has been progressively thinning as it heads eastwards around the northern hemisphere at high altitude and will reach mainland Europe on Wednesday or Thursday, it said, citing a computer model jointly compiled with the French weather service, Meteo France.

"The concentrations of caesium 137 in the air over land traversed by the plume are expected to be extremely low," it said.

Also see earlier post, Will radioactive materials from Japan reach the US?

Meanwhile, 200,000 US troops are being evacuated from Japan to Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco and L.A.

Will radioactive materials from Japan reach the US? (updates)

New: See latest post, IAEA: Health hazard to USA may have to be reassessed

Update 2: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger from Natural News, clarifies that the real danger is a full meltdown in the Japan reactors, which would release a large amount of radiation into the atmosphere, which according to UN calculations, would send a powerful nuclear cloud towards the US West Coast. This has not happened yet, but at Natural News, they are taking the approach that it is better to be prepared than to be kept in the dark by government caution. Adams tells us the role of government in this situation is to keep the public calm until there is no choice but to tell LA it has 3 days to evacuate. So, don't panic, but remember this website and these tips in case things get worse.

Update 1: US boosts radiation-sniffing system

Federal agencies are beefing up their radiation-monitoring capabilities at home and abroad, even as they insist that significant amounts of fallout won’t waft from Japan onto U.S. territory. At home, the Environmental Protection Agency said it's adding seven monitors in Alaska, Hawaii and Guam to its RadNet radiation-tracking system, which operates about 100 air-sniffing stations nationwide. Putting in those extra stations "allows us to gather data from a position closer to Japan," EPA said in an online question-and-answer guide.

The combination of the earthquake and the tsunami has botched the emergency cooling systems at the Fukushima power plant, leading to a drying-up of the spent fuel pools at units 3 and 4, raising fears of nuclear meltdown.

According to Professor Menachem Luria of Hebrew University, the situation in Japan could be more dangerous than Chernobyl in terms of the spread of radioactive materials:

This is very worrying. There is no doubt that we have not seen anything like this in years, perhaps ever since nuclear experiments were conducted in the atmosphere in the 1950s. From what we can gather, this disaster is even more dangerous than Chernobyl, both from the standpoint of the population's exposure to radioactive material and the spread of radioactive contamination in the area. Once there is an uncontrollable heating up, the nuclear fuel undergoes a metamorphosis into the gaseous phase. Since we are talking about metals and solid items, they turn into particles that are capable of traveling great distances. They can wander thousands of kilometers.

Yossi Melman of Haaretz, who quoted Professor Luria, explains:

If these gases are indeed emitted into the atmosphere in large quantities, the wind regime could carry them all the way to China, South Korea, and eastern Russia, or in the other direction, toward Hawaii and the west coast of the United States.

Melman qualifies this doomsday prospect by saying that the likelihood of this is not high. But check out this map on AccuWeather:

And these estimated time spans for the arrival of radioactive materials to the US West Coast:

Calculated time for radioactive particles to cross the Pacific from the power plants in Japan to big West Coast cities if the particles take a direct path and move at a speed of 20 mph:

Cities	Approx. Distance (miles)	Approx. Time to Cross Pacific (days)
Anchorage	3,457	7
Honolulu	3,847	8
Seattle	4,792	10
Los Angeles	5,477	11

While this article from Agence France-Presse downplays the public health threats to the US, it indicates current wind direction would blow a potential radioactive cloud across the Pacific (see also the NYT forecast):

Experts have suggested that, if there were a reactor meltdown or major leak at Fukushima, the radioactive cloud would likely be blown out east across the Pacific, towards the US West Coast. “The wind direction for the time being seems to point the (nuclear) pollution towards the Pacific,” said Andre-Claude Lacoste of the French Nuclear Safety Authority, briefing journalists in Paris on the Japanese crisis.

The question of course is how much radiation will be released in Japan, and until that is known, no one can say with 100% assurance that harmful levels will not reach the US. If Japan faces nuclear meltdown at multiple plants - a scenario which is not ruled out by the way things are going - officials will began to change their tone.

Needless to say, experts in the US and Japan have an interest in playing down the situation and keeping the public calm until the evidence is rock-hard, but the truth is that right now no one knows where the situation in Japan is heading, and as the studies suggest above, intercontinental movement of airborne particles is a phenomenon we are just beginning to understand. That's why the prediction of the Israeli scientist above and the article from the French press are particularly telling.

There's also a deeper message here: Until now, it seems as if most disasters have hit the so-called "periphery", yet the Japan earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-power-emergency disaster marks a key shift. On Sunday morning, many Californians woke up to a warning they had never heard before: Tsunami alert along the coast. Many West-Coasters were shocked that events in Japan could ripple (literally) to the serene California coastline. Sure, we always knew Hawaii and Alaska were kinda close to Japan, but for most of the US, what happens in the far East and really in all of the developed world is in the category of "really sad things that happen to such unfortunate countries".

We all know Tom Friedman's theory: global interconnectedness will eliminate poverty and war, one Facebook friend at a time. Friedman's writing is dangerous, misguided and naive, but he is right about one thing: What happens in one place affects another, whether immediately in the delivery of an email or over 11 days in the case of the spread of radiocative particles. As disasters grow in their proportions, they are less about "people out there" and more about "how this can affect you".

For Jewish readers, my best guess is that moving to Eretz Yisrael is the safest choice. But even more important, prayer and teshuva where you are, as best you can. Remember that Hashem is in charge.

Former USGS Geologist says next earthquake will hit Pacific Northwest

Jim Berkland, the former USGS Geologist who predicted the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, says there is a high probability that the Pacific Northwest will be hit this month by a major earthquake.  Berkland cites the March 19th supermoon, high tides, spring equinox and latest sealife deaths as earthquake risk factors, and March 19th-26th as a possible window.

Japan Nuclear Power Plant Emergency, Tsunami Arrival Times for US West Coast now in, Pacific islands UNDERWATER

Ocean energy distribution forecast map from the U.S. NOAA

Updates from MSNBC:

7:32 a.m. ET:  The death toll from the earthquake rises to 59, according to Kyodo.

7:22 a.m. ET:  Kyodo is reporting that 2,000 residents near Fukushima nuclear power plant have been urged to evacuate. This is the plant that that developed a mechanical failure in the reactor cooling system after it was shut down in the earthquake.

Emergency Declared at Japan Nuke Plants (MSNBC)

Japan's top government spokesman and local administrators say emergencies have been issued at two nuclear power plants over cooling-system fears in the wake of Friday's giant earthquake.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the nuclear power plant in Fukushima developed a mechanical failure in the system needed to cool the reactor after it was shut down after the earthquake. He said there was no radiation leak.

Edano said the measure was a precaution and there was no radiation leak at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant. He said the facility was not in immediate danger.

Meanwhile, an administrator at the Tohoku Electric Power Co's Onagawa facility said the process for the cooling reactor is "not going as planned," adding that "nuclear emergency situation" has been declared. The company asked people nearby to stay calm, the official TV news channel NHK reported.

A fire broke out at the plant following the quake, the Kyodo news agency said. Prior to the Kyodo report, the company had said it had not received information on whether there had been any problems at the plant after the disaster.

7:16 a.m. ET:  A huge number of people are stranded in Tokyo after all railway services in the capital's metropolitan area are suspended, Kyodo News reports.  The East Japan Railway Co. suspended its services for all railways in the metropolitan area as well as bullet train services on the Tohoku, Joetsu, Nagano, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen Lines.

7:13 a.m. ET:  The American military is preparing for rescue operations and is ready to help if the Japanese government asks for assistance, according to NHT. Russia has also said it is ready to send aid. 

6:31 a.m. ET:  This just in from Reuters: A ship carrying 100 people was swept away by the tsunami that smashed into northeastern Japan, Kyodo news agency reports.

6:31 a.m. ET:  Officials fear tsunami may have washed over entire islands in the Pacific, CNN reports.
  
6:15 a.m. ET:  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Tsunami Warning Center issues a list of estimated tsunami arrival times for locations along the North American Pacific coast

From Wikipedia: An oil refinery was set on fire by the quake at Ichihara Chiba Prefecture to the east of Tokyo.

Earthquake, Tsunami hits Japan; Tsunami Alert for 20 countries

20 Countries on Alert for Tsunami:

The most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years unleashed walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfing towns, dragging houses onto highways and tossing cars and boats like toys.

...As the city grappled with the devastation, a massive tsunami swept across the Pacific Ocean.
An earthquake of that size can generate a dangerous tsunami to coasts outside the source region, the National Weather Service said.

In Philippines alone, the tsunami is expected to hit in the early morning and the government has evacuated 20 provinces along the coast.

Authorities in at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands issued tsunami warnings, the National Weather Service said.

The wide-ranging list includes Russia and Indonesia, Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica and the U.S. state of Hawaii, where warning sirens were sounded in the morning. A tsunami warning was also issued for areas along the United States and Canadian west coasts (CNN)

Coastal California Tsunami Warning: Could Hit Friday Morning

Recent Earthquake Activity:

MAP	5.3	2011/03/11 10:35:36	37.044	141.298	25.8	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.9	2011/03/11 10:28:44	39.447	143.531	29.3	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.6	2011/03/11 10:20:27	36.966	142.289	21.7	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.0	2011/03/11 10:10:35	39.248	142.779	28.9	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.2	2011/03/11 09:59:57	36.703	142.207	41.6	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.5	2011/03/11 09:47:02	39.685	142.938	29.7	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	2.7	2011/03/11 09:45:07	19.295	-154.944	10.8	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	5.2	2011/03/11 09:42:22	39.438	142.749	30.2	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.4	2011/03/11 09:37:08	35.877	141.585	29.9	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	3.0	2011/03/11 09:33:58	19.382	-155.015	7.6	ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP	2.9	2011/03/11 09:24:53	19.351	-154.999	8.7	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	2.8	2011/03/11 09:14:36	19.329	-154.970	11.0	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	2.8	2011/03/11 09:10:26	19.355	-155.000	5.4	ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP	5.5	2011/03/11 09:09:15	37.717	143.267	36.2	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	2.5	2011/03/11 09:07:01	19.347	-154.989	0.1	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	2.8	2011/03/11 09:05:23	19.373	-155.001	8.5	ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP	5.4	2011/03/11 09:04:10	37.299	142.655	30.5	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	3.3	2011/03/11 09:03:38	19.349	-154.950	31.4	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	5.2	2011/03/11 09:00:20	37.056	141.966	20.0	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	4.6	2011/03/11 08:58:26	19.340	-154.992	9.3	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	5.4	2011/03/11 08:52:26	36.763	141.910	35.8	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.5	2011/03/11 08:46:48	37.421	142.453	37.3	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.9	2011/03/11 08:40:56	37.465	141.122	38.6	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.1	2011/03/11 08:31:08	37.428	141.200	25.0	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.5	2011/03/11 08:19:24	36.200	142.000	19.9	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.2	2011/03/11 08:15:41	37.034	144.612	27.8	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.2	2011/03/11 08:12:05	36.606	141.557	19.8	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.5	2011/03/11 08:10:31	36.394	140.631	30.4	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.9	2011/03/11 08:01:59	37.071	142.734	22.6	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.6	2011/03/11 07:56:16	37.130	142.305	34.0	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.7	2011/03/11 07:54:45	37.742	141.565	45.3	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.8	2011/03/11 07:42:55	36.406	141.919	29.9	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.9	2011/03/11 07:38:27	39.250	142.783	29.1	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	3.2	2011/03/11 07:32:13	33.508	-116.576	9.0	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP	6.1	2011/03/11 07:28:12	36.802	141.911	24.0	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.1	2011/03/11 07:25:33	37.916	144.621	15.0	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.3	2011/03/11 07:14:59	36.648	141.811	25.0	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.9	2011/03/11 07:13:47	36.051	142.347	28.5	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	5.8	2011/03/11 07:11:00	37.899	142.734	30.0	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.3	2011/03/11 06:57:15	35.758	140.992	30.2	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.3	2011/03/11 06:48:47	37.993	142.764	22.3	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	7.1	2011/03/11 06:25:51	38.106	144.553	19.7	OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	3.2	2011/03/11 06:18:04	19.350	-154.991	9.5	HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP	6.8	2011/03/11 06:15:40	36.186	141.192	35.0	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.4	2011/03/11 06:07:22	36.401	141.862	35.4	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	6.4	2011/03/11 06:06:11	39.025	142.316	25.1	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	8.9	2011/03/11 05:46:24	38.322	142.369	24.4	NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP	3.4	2011/03/11 04:51:25	35.349	-118.564	8.6	CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

California faces 'superstorm' risk

Rolling thunderstorm in the Netherlands, 2004 / John Kerstholt

In what Yahoo! News says "sounds like the plot of an apocalyptic action movie", a group of more than 100 scientists and experts say California faces risk of massive "superstorm" that could flood a quarter of the states' homes and last over 40 days.