It's been a long night... and I haven't slept much (thanks to the worsening situation in Japan, and having made the mistake of having had some decongestant for a cold that left my brain all wired). Anyway, I'm also starting to get a little worried about T-chan's and L-kun's trip to Sapporo (2 more days to go)... and my own trip in 3 weeks time when we intended to spend over a week in Tokyo. The thing that makes me worried most of all is the realisation that an earthquake of this magnitude is not only likely to have large aftershocks, but more worrying it is also likely to generate other stresses that could lead to other big earthquakes (similar to what has happened in places like Christchurch just recently).
I've included a link below to a live streaming NHK World News for those looking for up to date news. As the horrible news of death continues, it is worth remembering that there are moments of life and miracles. I am hoping that we will also see that Japan's early warning system has saved many more people than could otherwise be expected.
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Update - The initial estimates on Minamisoma may be overestimated... or misplaced... the media is now talking about the town of Minami Sanriku - where there are some 10,000 people missing (over half the population of the town). The situation on the ground is still quite chaotic, and it is therefore difficult to get a good view of exactly what has occurred.
The waiting game is horrible. I'm glad the phone lines are starting to work again. What's the airport situation like there? I imagine the flight service has been disrupted quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteI finally heard from my host family. They are alright, but my host mom's daughter lives in Ibaraki. From the last I heard, she hasn't been able to get in contact with her. It's horrible not being able to do anything. All my thoughts go to everyone in Japan.
At some point however you have to turn off... it's like the Boxing Day Tsunami. It gets so large that you just can't keep trying to keep it all in perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe difference here is that this will be our problem in a matter of days, so we can't escape it for long.
That's very sad news about your host family. Ibaraki was hit pretty bad as well. Hope they hear from her soon!