A serious warning for West Coasters out there

[Barracuda]

Ok, first of all, this is a warning only. I don't want this going Fratching. If you don't believe it's true, disregard it, no one's making you believe it. However, this is serious enough I thought people should be made aware of it. Better to give warning where none is needed than ignore something that turns out to be serious, right? Let's hope they're wrong. But if that pool boils dry and exposes that radioactive material....

Fukushima reactor venting steam, possible meltdown in progress, could cause LETHAL CLOUD that could reach West Coast North America.

http://www.turnerradionetwork.com/news/146-mjt

[Kagato]

Very skeptical as there is no matching news on other reputable news sites such as CNN. BBC, LA Times, etc. If it is verified by any major news sources, then and only then will I be more concerned.

EDIT: Further searches show that small sites have 'news' about this dating back to almost 24 hours ago. You'd definitely think CNN, BBC, etc would have reported on this by now.

[Eireann]

It's a hoax: http://www.snopes.com/photos/technology/fallout.asp

[lupo pazzesco]

I've been surfing, hoping to find some confirmation, but so far all I've found is a couple of "DOOOMYDOOM THE WORLD IS ENDING!!:" Forums, which are pointing out how the gubment is out to hide all the facts from us...

Then there's This. Some interesting links.

[Argabarga]

Not to mention any cloud still lethal when it reaches US Shores would have to have already irradiated plenty of people to death in Japan.

I think you'd hear about that long before it got here.

Irresponsible scare-mongering by news outlets do nobody any favors, but, as pointed out, this was a "kook" story, they've been trying since the original earthquake/meltdown to hang all kinds of nonsense on it to further their own agendas.

[Pixilated]

The problem is, the Japanese government is in the process of passing a law that makes it a crime to leak any information about Fukushima, or for any journalist to try to get such information. Also, there are the sailors aboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan who are being diagnosed with leukemia, tumours, and other symptoms of radiation poisoning. The stories about the sailors are only just now coming out.

While I don't see myself as a member of the tinfoil hat brigade, I also do not believe national governments would tell the truth if a disaster like this really was threatening the entire globe. Why would they? From their point of view it would result in nothing more than panic and pandemonium. So I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for information from the "real" media because it's not going to be there.

[MadMike]

Since this was determined to be a hoax, and this thread is already veering into Fratching territory, I'm shutting it down.