Japanese Nuclear Power Plant Explosion, and Dangerous Swimming Conditions in County

Japanese authorities are saying radiation has decreased since an explosion at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. They say the reactor is still safe within the metal housing.

Here is a link to an Associated Press video of the explosion.

Meanwhile, journalists throughout the world continue to watch the situation.

In San Diego County, there is a high rip current risk, with surf up to 7 feet at the southernmost beaches. Dangerous swimming conditions exist, in the wake of an 8.9 magnitude earthquake offshore of Tokyo Thursday night, U.S. time.

On Friday, county authorities warned that tsunami waves are not surfable and that they can be loaded with debris.

“There's no reason to be alarmed—just be aware,” said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. “We don't expect any inundation of water.”

About a dozen extra SDFRD lifeguards were called in Friday morning as a
precaution, and 30 police officers were sent out to patrol the San Diego
coastline.   

The U.S. Coast Guard prepared for any tsunami-related emergencies in the
San Diego area by readying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, the cutter Haddock
and three response boats.

A crew from the agency's local Incident Management Division was on duty to respond to any pollution that could result from vessel groundings.

The Coast Guard advised boaters to keep their vessels moored pending cancellation of the tsunami advisory and asked them to monitor VHF Channel 16 for any
updates or additional alerts.

At Quivira Basin in Mission Bay, the water level rapidly fell by roughly 3 feet about 9 a.m., according to Luque. The harbor was returning to its prior level a half-hour or so later. In the late afternoon, lifeguards learned that the swells had caused a
150-foot-long barge anchored in Mission Bay to buckle in the middle and break
free from its tethers, Luque said.

The craft, essentially a floating platform used by a private owner to sell bait to fishing crews, sideswiped several boats while drifting through the harbor, causing minor damage. Officials sent in tow vessels to pull the barge out of maritime lanes in the area.

Oceanside Harbor rose up to 3 feet at one point during the morning, but caused no reported damage, police Lt. Leonard Mata said.

In Solana Beach, the ocean pulled back unusually far in the late morning, briefly expanding the width of the shoreline in the area, senior lifeguard Rob McPhee reported.
 
Earlier in the morning, the tsunami reached Hawaii but no major problems were seen. When it hit the West Coast of the United States, it caused significant damage and swept five sightseers out to sea in Crescent City and southern Oregon, according to news reports. Four were rescued, but one remained missing as of early Friday evening.

Some property damage also was reported in Ventura Harbor and other
locations, according to the Weather Service.

The earthquake, believed to be the largest in Japanese history, struck the
northeastern area of the country at 9:45 p.m. Thursday San Diego time, destroying buildings 240 miles away in Tokyo and setting off a 30-foot tsunami.

City News Service contributed to this report.