quake

A massive earthquake has rocked the pacific, hitting 80 miles off of the coast of Japan. Tsunami warnings have been issued for the entire western seaboard of the United States and Canada, as well as Hawaii, which is already getting hit by the waves. Here’s a CNN video of the waves hitting Hawaii, measuring 6 to 8 feet:

Japan police are now reporting that 200-300 bodies have been found in a northeastern costal area. With an earthquake of this magnitude, we can expect the casualties to grow.

This quake is being called the Sendai quake, and with the 8.9 magnitude, it makes it a megathrust earthquake.

This is some good news, but I’m sure the wingnuts will explode over it:

Responding to the devastation from the Haiti earthquake, Obama administration officials on Wednesday temporarily suspended deportations of illegal immigrants from that country.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Haitian deportations would be halted “for the time being,” without specifying a time period. Immigration officials said it was clear they could be putting Haitians’ safety at risk by sending them back to a country staggering from the vast destruction of the quake. About 30,000 Haitians in the United States are facing deportation orders, immigration officials said.

Lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups renewed calls for the administration to grant Haiti a special status that would shield Haitian immigrants in this country from deportation for an extended period and allow them to work legally. The Haitian government and advocates here have been asking Washington to grant the status, known as temporary protected status, since late 2008.