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Tsunami Warnings in Japan After Massive Earthquake; Trump Expected to Appeal Colorado, Maine Rulings Tomorrow. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired January 01, 2024 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[07:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly.

And we are following breaking news for you out of Japan on this New Year's Day, a powerful earthquake triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations. This is video of the moment that the quake struck. We're not getting much video because comms are down there for obvious reasons. They've also closed all the power stations because they want to protect them. But this is one neighborhood on one part of that long western coast of Japan.

This was the strike ahead of the tsunamis, which I'll talk about in just a moment. But you can imagine what people are going through late afternoon in Japan at that time. And as soon as the quake struck, everyone was told by the government in emergency announcements -- look at that little explosion there on the left as the house appears to collapse -- everyone was then told to go to higher ground because we had a series then of warnings from Japanese officials about tsunamis.

Some of them are still standing, warning of 16-foot high tsunamis possibly coming in. So far, they've been hitting about just over a meter. The weather agency says there could be more aftershocks as well from the earthquake over the next few days, which could cause landslides, building collapses. This is the video of the destruction we're already seeing there.

The tsunami that was nearly four feet high that was observed, I mean, we're getting different pieces of video around this and they're very deceptive, these videos, because the waves get bigger as they go inland. So, initially, people see this, they think it's a regular wave, but then there are more and more that follow.

And as I was saying they're expecting one of 16-foot coming in and then I speak to a tsunami expert earlier saying because of the nature of the sea around there and the way it's so enclosed the water could be flushing in and out of neighborhoods causing damage, dragging the debris out and pulling it back in over the next 24 to 48 hours. So, we're extremely concerned about what's happening there. We need information. Let's go to Hanako Montgomery. She's our correspondent in Tokyo, of course. Hanako, what can you tell us? What information can you glean from what you're getting from the government and social media?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max. So, we actually have an update about the tsunami warnings. Previously, Japan had released a major tsunami warning for, of course, the city of Noto in the Ishikawa Prefecture. But just now, the Japanese government reported by NHK has lowered that to a tsunami warning. So, they no longer expect waves of up to five meters.

Now, just comparing this to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which killed 22,000 people, this natural disaster saw waves of up to 30 feet high. Of course, the tsunami warnings have not been lifted entirely for this region of Japan, for this current earthquake. But, of course, there are still concerns about the tsunami, what damages could be caused. We already know that people have been evacuating from this area, going to higher ground, as you said.

The city of Noto is a coastal town with many low-rise houses and homes. And people, of course, are spending New Year's Day with their family and their friends. So, you know, they were told to evacuate immediately, go to higher ground to save their lives.

And, of course, this tsunami warning hasn't been lifted entirely. They have been told to stay away from their homes near the coast until this warning has been lifted, Max.

FOSTER: We're looking at the waves coming in there. I think this was a canal, wasn't it? This video has gone viral because it shows how deceptive these waves are. They're low and they look like a regular tidal wave, but they're just not, are they? Just describe the sort of damage that's been caused in the past in Japan by them.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, Max. I mean, tsunamis can be very, very devastating. Just looking back on the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, as we discussed a little earlier, the waves knocked down parts of the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and it caused -- it triggered one of Japan's worst nuclear disasters.

[07:05:00]

And it was just devastating for the entire country, not just people within Eastern Japan, but the entire country.

Now, for Western Japan, this earthquake that we're currently reporting about, that we're seeing unfold in real time, there have been no nuclear abnormalities. We've been told at nearby nuclear power plants. We have heard, however, that 33,000 homes are without power in Ishikawa Prefecture.

NHK, Japan's public broadcaster is also reporting that six people have been injured in Suzu City in Ishikawa Prefecture. Again, we're seeing videos of homes collapsed. We've also been told by the Japanese government to beware of landslides. The Japanese prime minister has set up a special emergency team in order to react quickly to this disaster that's unfolding.

FOSTER: Okay. Hanako, thank you for that.

I want to go to meteorologist Derek Van Dam now, because he's been tracking all of this and we are becoming experts very quickly in this particular type of tsunami, aren't we, because we've been speaking to experts. And just take us through what I was talking about there with the enclosed nature of this sea and why they're so worried about the tsunamis hitting that side of Japan as opposed to the other side of Japan that we've seen before.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I think all you have to do, Max, is really just look at a map of the region, right? I mean, this part of Western Japan, this is the island of Honshu, is enclosed basically by another land mass just to its west. So, any earthquake with this type of a magnitude is going to propagate a wave, and that potential to see that wave slosh back and forth within this basin is very real.

Now, the latest update from the Japan Meteorological Agency is very important, because they have dropped that major tsunami warning. And last time they issued that was 2011, when the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused over 20,000 fatalities. That would be on the eastern side of the country of Japan. And the Ishikawa Prefecture, which is this little land mass that jets out from the island of Honshu in Western Japan, this is important because they're still under a tsunami warning.

So, the difference here between a major tsunami warning is that they called for initially up to 5 meters or 16 feet waves with that initial tsunami. They have lowered that to a tsunami warning, so upwards of three meters or roughly nine feet is still a potential with that sloshing of the water in and around these west-facing -- east, I should say, west-facing bays and shorelines throughout this part of the world. So, very important to see.

And we're going to analyze this video because this is new video coming into CNN. And everything that we're seeing here fits with the observed wave heights that we have seen from the local area. And you can see the water just moving up the coastline, up this particular canal. This is just off of the Ishikawa Prefecture. I'll show you a map in just one moment, but you can see that wave height. That's roughly a couple of feet.

And that really fits the narrative of what we've seen as reportable observations on the ground. This is coming out of the Ishikawa Prefecture, 1.2 meters or roughly 4 feet. That video confirms that. And these waves, more subsequent tsunami waves, have been observed in and around that west shoreline of the Honshu Island in Western Japan.

And this is important because not a one meter or roughly three-foot wave is dangerous because it is not just one initial wave. It is a series of waves. There's a lot of energy built up. When we get this tectonic shift, it displaces the water, creates a wave at the surface. And what happens is just because the nature of how shorelines work, they get shallower and shallower, the closer you get to the population densities, that water has nowhere to go but up so it can create a larger wave.

And sometimes the timing between the crests of the waves can range from five minutes to upwards of an hour. So, the threat, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, is far from over as that water continues to slosh around this area.

And, Max, needless to say, many people felt this magnitude 7.5 earthquake. We're talking over 50 million people feeling some sort of shaking and about half a million feeling very strong to severe shaking. That's why we're seeing those videos on the ground of buildings collapsing.

FOSTER: People watching this who may be in the area, you know, it's quite widely watched in Japan. We should warn them, shouldn't we? When you see the wave being pulled out or disappearing, that doesn't mean you're safe because it can come back just as quickly.

VAN DAM: Yes, this is a series of waves. As I explained, that water, once it goes inland, it has to retreat as well. So, whatever devastation it has the capability of doing on the ground along the coastline, the immediate coastline, it's going to drag that debris back into the water along with it.

So, this series of waves, the difference between wave crest and wave crest can be five minutes to upwards of an hour.

[07:10:05]

And that's important because we could casually just kind of let our guard down if we have that relaxation of the water along the coastline and then another series of waves moves in.

We've had 17 earthquakes already. These are the aftershocks that we're starting to see pop up on the earthquake monitor that we have. And, of course, we're not expecting a significantly larger earthquake than what was already occurred, but, nonetheless, this could create localized tsunami waves as well. Max?

FOSTER: Okay, Derek, thank you. Do stay with CNN This Morning. We continue to cover that breaking news out of Japan. We're getting new information and videos. Derek just showed all the time, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake shaking the country on New Year's Day. Our crews standing by for us live in Tokyo.

We'll be right back.

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FOSTER: We are continuing to follow the breaking news for you out of Japan, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake striking off the western coast overnight, triggering tsunami alerts. We have new video here showing the waves rolling into a canal in the coastal town of Joetsu.

Japan Meteorological Agency immediately issued tsunami warnings along the entire coast of Western Japan, and the first waves were reported hitting the coast about just ten minutes later. They had very, very little warning to get out of there. So, we did see these official warnings going out at the time after the earthquake that people should just get out of their houses, not pick anything up and go to higher ground, another tsunami here.

[07:15:00]

They seem quite threatening when you see them like this, but they just continue with that force of water behind them.

An expert is Dr. Ellen Prager. I mean, it's remarkable, isn't it, when you watch these images, they don't seem that intimidating until you see the destruction that they can make.

DR. ELLEN PRAGER, MARINE SCIENTIST AND AUTHOR: Good morning. Yes, the thing with tsunamis is, especially if you're near the epicenter, you can get a very large tsunami that could be very destructive. Luckily, it looks like the threat of a very big tsunami has passed already. But even a little bit of water rushing in is very powerful.

FOSTER: Yes. So, I think the highest one we've had so far is 1.20 meter. That can do a lot of damage, though, can't it, depending on how many are following it?

PRAGER: Well, it can. And also, one of the things with tsunamis, it depends on the configuration of the coastline. What's the nature of the coastline? Is it low lying? Are there trees or mangrove forests? Depends on what's there and the configuration that all can change the shape and the size of the tsunami as it hits.

FOSTER: And it's pretty untested this side of Japan as well, isn't it? We've had earthquakes and tsunamis on the other side of Japan, but this is a very different geography, as you describe, and you've got that much more enclosed ocean there, if you look up to the Koreas.

Derek, our meteorologist, saying there is this threat that the water can wash in and out in a way that it wouldn't do on the other side of the country.

PRAGER: They are very different on the other side of the country. It's a subduction zone, and you can actually get much stronger earthquakes and potentially larger tsunamis on that side. On the west side of Japan, it's what's called -- this is a reverse fault that has, we can say, broken and has thrust the water upwards.

But, usually, they're not going to get as big a tsunami as if it was on the other side in a subduction zone. And because you're right, you're in a bay, you could potentially get what's called the sash (ph) or sloshing back and forth. But it doesn't look like this is going to be a serious issue there. It has that potential.

But according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and the tsunami warning system, it doesn't look like it's going to be that serious. Over the next hour or so, a couple of hours, you could see small water rises, but, hopefully, that's going to be the extent of it.

FOSTER: Presumably it will depend on the aftershocks as well. They do seem to be continuing right now. I think one was over six as well, so not insignificant.

PRAGER: Right. The aftershocks, typically, anytime there is an earthquake over 7.1, automatically, you get an alert for looking for a tsunami. The aftershocks are probably not going to create a bigger tsunami, but, yes, they have to keep an eye on those. And if -- remember, the way you get a tsunami is displacement of water. So, if you're just getting shaking, that's not going to create or trigger a tsunami. You have to actually have -- the sea floor has to go up or down. That's what triggers the tsunami, or you could get an underwater landslide.

FOSTER: Yes. Well, we're wishing them all the best. We're trying to get as much information as we can, but they're dealing with a crisis situation.

Dr. Ellen Prager, thank you so much for joining us with your insight today.

Our breaking news this morning then, a powerful earthquake hitting western Japan, tsunami warnings, evacuations, aftershocks, all in its wake. Our coverage continues after this short break.

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FOSTER: Good morning, everyone. Breaking news coverage of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Western Japan continuing in just a moment. Look at that, one of the tsunamis coming in. Awesome destruction, although when you first see it, it doesn't look that threatening. But there were massive evacuation orders after they saw that.

Now, former President Trump, meanwhile, fighting to keep his name on the Republican primary ballot in Colorado and Maine. The Supreme Court of Colorado and Maine secretary of state each ruling Trump ineligible to seek a second term in the White House. They say his actions during the January 6th Capitol riot violated the 14th Amendment ban on insurrectionists holding federal office.

CNN's Zachary Cohen joins us right now. Zach, this is happening with just two weeks until the Iowa caucuses.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Max. And Donald Trump is vowing to appeal both of these decisions, the one in Colorado, as you mentioned, and also in Maine, the most recent, handed down by the Secretary of State there. And, look, these decisions are both put on hold until this matter gets resolved through the court system.

And there's mounting pressure on the U.S. Supreme Court to take up this issue and sort of resolve the constitutional questions that are raised here.

But there's also a political element to this, like you mentioned, the Iowa caucuses are coming up. And obviously, the 2024 presidential election itself is just around the corner. So, you know, this needs to be resolved and needs to be addressed through the courts before, you know, we get to that point where the election is ongoing, the election process is ongoing.

Donald Trump is attacking these decisions as election interference. It's something that we've seen from him repeatedly. And as we get closer and closer to the presidential election, you can guarantee that you'll hear more of that from him.

So, again, mounting pressure on the Supreme Court to take up this issue, we're really in uncharted waters as we've found ourselves repeatedly over the last year. But we'll have to see how the courts, if the Supreme Court takes it up, and if they don't, how these states resolve this issue themselves.

FOSTER: Yes, you're getting used to that space, aren't you?

Jamie Raskin was on State of the Union this weekend and was asked if Justice Count Thomas should recuse himself on the 14th Amendment case. What did you make of that?

COHEN: Yes. Jamie Raskin, obviously a Democrat, obviously was a member of the January 6th committee that investigated what happened on January 6th of the U.S. Capitol, but he says that Clarence Thomas, obviously conservative justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, should recuse himself if this matter gets taken up by the highest court in the land, and he says that it's because of his wife's role in January 6th.

We've reported and other outlets have reported that Ginni Thomas, who is Clarence Thomas' wife, was actively involved in encouraging White House officials, like Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff, to keep fighting to overturn the election in the lead-up to January 6th.

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Obviously, that is part of the case in the narrative the January 6th committee says, led to the violence on January 6 itself.

So, Jamie Raskin raising an interesting possibility, I would be surprised if we saw Clarence Thomas actually recuse himself. But take a listen to how Raskin explained it.

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REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): But I think anybody looking at this in any kind of dispassionate, reasonable way would say if your wife was involved in the big lie and claiming that Donald Trump had actually won the presidential election, had been agitating for that and participating in the events leading up to January 6th, that you shouldn't be participating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So he should recuse himself?

RASKIN: He absolutely should recuse himself. The question is, what do we do if he doesn't recuse himself. COHEN: The Thomases have consistently maintained that they keep their work separate. But, again, an interesting possibility that Raskin raises here, especially as we do anticipate that this pressure is going to continue to build for the Supreme Court to take up this 14th Amendment issue.

FOSTER: Okay, Zachary Cohen, thank you for that.

Now, a New Year means new laws officially going onto the books, of course. Rafael Romo now takes a look at the slew of new ones taking effect today.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Among the most polarizing new laws that take effect with the New Year are those related to gender- affirming care for minors, with several Republican-led states moving to enact restrictions.

For example, in Idaho, physicians or practitioners who provide puberty blocking medication, gender-affirming surgeries or other treatments to minors could face a $5,000 fine and a felony charge. In Louisiana, it will become illegal for those under 18 to receive those treatments, and healthcare professionals can have their licenses revoked for two years or more if they provide those services.

On the other hand, Maryland, along with several other Democratic-led states, passed protections for gender-affirming care for all ages. And as of January 1st, the state will require Medicaid to cover them.

When it comes to abortion, the state of Washington is enacting a law with the goal of making the procedure more accessible by eliminating out of pocket costs, including deductibles and co-pays. This is, of course, in response to near total bans in several Republican-led states that took effect in 2023.

In California, a law taking effect Monday protects local health care providers from out of state litigation over both abortion and gender- affirming care to people from other states. When it comes to laws that are not as controversial, nearly half of all U.S. states will increase their minimum wage in 2024.

Washington will continue to have the highest minimum wage of all states at $16.28 an hour, up from $15.74.

Another new law for 2024 getting a lot of attention is California's ban on carry and concealed firearms in sensitive places. This is despite the federal judge's prior ruling that the law is, quote, repugnant to the Second Amendment.

Under the new law, people with permits would not be allowed to carry concealed firearms in places like schools, parks and hospitals, among others. A federal appeals court will allow the law to go into effect for now while the court case continues.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

FOSTER: We are covering Japan's 7.5 magnitude earthquake for you this morning. All that coverage continues.

Ahead, we'll be joined by the lead duty scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. What these videos of waves indicate.

Stay with us.

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