Japan Earthquake
Yesterday was an eerie day here. The weather was just starting to break
from a typhoon that rolled up the coast before turning into a tropical
storm by the time it hit Tokyo. It dumped a lot of rain and filled the
rivers around here, but I think most of the real damage was further
south. Then the news of the big earthquake
Monday morning. We didn't feel any movement where we live (which is
strange because the ground always
moves around here), but nine people lost their lives, almost a thousand
were injured, even more displaced, and a nuclear plant (the world's
largest) was damaged to the point of leaking radiation. That's a pretty
good quake. We were most worried because my wife's immediate and
extended family lives right near the quake zone, and the temple where
she grew up sustained significant damage. Everyone is ok, but they were
jolted badly, and there have been more than a few aftershocks to deal
with. Ask anyone who has been thought a bad quake, and they'll
generally tell you that the after shocks are quite unsettling.
You never know. In fact, as I write this, I look down at my feet resting on a big water bottle we keep in the apartment. Just in case. We have extra food, too. And flash lights and radios. And a few other key emergency items that my wife insisted on getting pretty much minutes after we stepped in the country last year. I think we got all this stuff even before our stuff arrived from San Francisco on that one month trek across the pacific. People take disasters here much more seriously than they do back in the U.S. And for good reason. At work, too, everyone of us has a disaster kit under our desks with a fine blue helmet and gloves and a mask among other items that would come in handy while navigating out of a burning building. And on top of that, the entire country drills once a year, which should be coming up soon, actually.
I've been getting so used to the little quakes here in Japan. This place makes San Francisco feel downright solid! Sometimes I'll just notice the building moving back and forth (I work on the 21st floor), but my attention quickly moves on to other pressing things. Or at night the apartment will shake, but I'll just go back to sleep. That was probably a 3.5, I'll tell myself. Ok, buildings move in Japan. I get that. But I think I'll be a little more sensitive to these shakers in the future. It might not matter in a 6.8, to be honest, but at least I shouldn't just go back to sleep! Getting up would be a better move ...
You never know. In fact, as I write this, I look down at my feet resting on a big water bottle we keep in the apartment. Just in case. We have extra food, too. And flash lights and radios. And a few other key emergency items that my wife insisted on getting pretty much minutes after we stepped in the country last year. I think we got all this stuff even before our stuff arrived from San Francisco on that one month trek across the pacific. People take disasters here much more seriously than they do back in the U.S. And for good reason. At work, too, everyone of us has a disaster kit under our desks with a fine blue helmet and gloves and a mask among other items that would come in handy while navigating out of a burning building. And on top of that, the entire country drills once a year, which should be coming up soon, actually.
I've been getting so used to the little quakes here in Japan. This place makes San Francisco feel downright solid! Sometimes I'll just notice the building moving back and forth (I work on the 21st floor), but my attention quickly moves on to other pressing things. Or at night the apartment will shake, but I'll just go back to sleep. That was probably a 3.5, I'll tell myself. Ok, buildings move in Japan. I get that. But I think I'll be a little more sensitive to these shakers in the future. It might not matter in a 6.8, to be honest, but at least I shouldn't just go back to sleep! Getting up would be a better move ...
Posted by Glynn Foster on July 19, 2007 at 12:13 AM JST #
Posted by Jim Grisanzio on July 19, 2007 at 12:17 PM JST #
Posted by Rob on July 20, 2007 at 04:33 AM JST #
Posted by Asokkumar on July 20, 2007 at 04:33 AM JST #
Posted by Jim Grisanzio on July 20, 2007 at 04:33 AM JST #
Posted by Doyin Aguoru on July 22, 2007 at 04:26 AM JST #
Posted by Christopher Mahan on July 23, 2007 at 02:32 PM JST #
I am glad that you and your family made it out safely and i love the way that you wrote it it was great.
Posted by Sarah on October 17, 2007 at 09:57 PM JST #
safety and lucky.
www.512-china.org
Seer of earthquake, YunFeng Li who can predict earthquake and accuracy is 100% !
http://guantianzd.blog.sohu.com/ His blog
Posted by JIAN CHEN on July 21, 2008 at 01:24 AM JST #
i haven't read this page, but it looks cool.
P.S.i don't like to read so can you make it a little bit shorter??
Posted by me on April 19, 2009 at 09:37 AM JST #