"If the preliminary 8.0 rating is confirmed, the quake would equal the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which killed about 10,000 people"

From MSNBC (http://msnbc.com/news/971921.asp?0cv=CB10)

Three powerful earthquakes, one of them of potentially historic magnitude, struck Hokkaido in northern Japan early Friday morning, causing major structural damage, NBC News reported. The quakes injured at least 180 people and generated a 7-foot-high tsunami off the coast of Hokkaido. Tsunami advisories were issued for much of the Pacific region, including Japan, Russia and the Philippines.

THE FIRST QUAKE, which struck about 4:50 a.m. (4:50 p.m. ET Thursday), preliminarily registered magnitude 8.0, a rare category of earthquake capable of causing widespread destruction, according to the National Earthquake Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey.

It was the biggest earthquake recorded anywhere in the world since 2001.

The tsunami warning for the Pacific Coast has been cancelled.

yes, i read about this. i'm trying to find out if the earthquake affected a town called Ise, where my friend is. also, dvmarie! i hope everyone there is safe and sound. it's often the aftermath of a huge earthquake that is the really dangerous time, with fires and buildings falling piece by piece while rescues are being attempted. hang on over there, folks! :(

O'm gosh dvmarie! I hope she's OK! and your friend too Kreeli!

I hope my exchange student from last year is ok but I hope my exchange student from this year is badly injured (use my deoderant will ya)