Earthquake/Tsunami in Japan

[Guest]

i've just watched the devastating videos and read the news about the massive 8.9 earthquake off Japan, & the tsunami which followed... i hope none of our members, or their loved ones, are affected personally by this terrible event.

there are tsunami warnings for 20 surrounding countries, the US coast included.

everyone - stay safe!

 

[DustyKat]

Oh boy ding, I am watching it too and it is unbelievably devastating. I personally know quite a few people living in Japan, as I guess many Aussies do. I hope more than anything everyone affected is safe and sound, the pictures of the tsunami are indescribable.

Take care everyone, :hug:
Dusty

 

[Dexky]

News coverage here keeps showing the same devastating clips over and over. I hope only a limited area is so affected by this. The pics are surreal!! It will take years to recover. Unbelievable!!

 

[Grumbletum]

Watching it too. Brings back sad memories of Sri Lanka, where I used to live, and the Boxing Day tsunami What a year it has been for disasters, natural and otherwise.
Hoping that all will stay well for you and yours .

 

[Jennifer]

I believe it was later classified at a 8.4 earthquake. Right now all of the Pacific Coasts are on tsunami watch. In my local area parts of the Central Coast of Ca. are evacuating near Port San Luis, Point Conception, Oceano, parts of Pismo and parts of Morro Bay, Cayucos and anywhere near the coast line that's on low ground. We're watching to make sure Diablo Canyon (power plant) will we ok but from what I've heard is that the lowest point of the power plant is 80 feet above sea level and that the only real threat at the moment would be debris in the water blocking the screens which allow water flow to cool the plant but they have safety measures in place in case that happens. So there's no expected evacuation to get away from Diablo Canyon at the moment.

Edit: I guess that was the old classification and it was raised to a 8.9. Crazy.

 

[Crohn's 35]

Just too much going on all over the world. From floods,, snow, tornados, tsunamis, earth quakes, hurricanes, major snow storms where countries never get snow, Volcano's. Scary stuff... I feel for those in those predictaments can't even fathom!!

 

[scifi-enthusiast]

Well, an internet friend living in tokyo said that tokyo wasn't hit too badly compared to the other parts of japan.

 

[Jennifer]

Ya. Generally the closer you are to the epicenter the less effect it will have compared to areas surrounding where the shock waves get to rock and roll you.

 

[Astra]

Wonderful, clever people the Japanese, their structural engineering is second to none, so they were prepared, but not for the Tsunami.
The force of that is so surreal, it's devastating to watch.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I can't even look at the photos or video, too sad. I remember a couple of months ago during the horrible cyclone in Australia, I saw a news video of a woman being airlifted by a helicopter out of the raging floods. She was holding the ladder in one hand and her dog in the other. But a huge wave came over them, and when it was gone, so was her dog. That made me weep! The poor woman was clinging to the one thing she had left, her faithful canine companion, and in an instant he was gone along with everything else. So heartbreaking.

I do have a friend in Tokyo, a guy I went to high school with who now teaches English to Japanese students. Fortunately he's fine. He said the trains are not running, so he (and everyone else, apparently) has to sleep at the school until public transportation is up and running again. Apparently even though the city of Tokyo wasn't badly hit, everything there is still impacted and at a standstill for now.

 

[MADiMarc]

So, so horrible to see. Cat, I am the exact opposite, I cannot seem to turn the news off. It was the same last month (was it only last month?) when the cyclone hit down under. Horrific. I keep playing the same clips, looking at the peoples faces. My heart bleeds for them.
Michele

 

[Crohn's 35]

Read the news this morning and so horrific for the nuclear reactors to have a melt down is not good for them or the rest of the world. I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Sometimes we get so complacent in our lives that when a devestation hits, and no one understands til it happens you you. I pray for them to be safe.

 

[AndiGirl]

I'm praying that they are safe also. Scott got hit pretty hard at work yesterday. They had to reroute some flights due the earthquake/tsunami. They were busy with tons of passengers and luggage.

 

[DustyKat]

This whole tragedy just seems to be getting worse and worse......

Dusty.

 

[merrywidow]

on our british telly last night they went to far with the videos. and show 3 people trying to out run the wave. these 3 people were highlighted.

we all know thousands of people died but do we need to see people about to die?

my thoughts are with those that survived,as they have nothing left in the world.

 

[Jennifer]

I don't see that as going too far. Not all news is pretty and most of it just makes you sick, as it should. When the two towers in NY had planes flying in, we still got to see images of people jumping out of the towers to their death. They were highlighted too.

 

[FDK80]

I love the Japanese people, they're so nice, smart and down to earth, i wish this disaster end as i hope the country will recover very soon

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I've been reading the news about the nuclear disaster that they're trying to avert in Japan, and an article I read listed the symptoms of radiation sickness. The symptoms were things like diarrhea, nausea, weakness, dizziness, vomiting, etc. The only symptom of radiation poisoning listed that wasn't an IBD-like symptom was nosebleeds. I thought that was interesting. So radidation sickness feels like a flare, but with nosebleeds.

 

[Jennifer]

I've been reading the news about the nuclear disaster that they're trying to avert in Japan, and an article I read listed the symptoms of radiation sickness. The symptoms were things like diarrhea, nausea, weakness, dizziness, vomiting, etc. The only symptom of radiation poisoning listed that wasn't an IBD-like symptom was nosebleeds. I thought that was interesting. So radidation sickness feels like a flare, but with nosebleeds.

Guess I'll never know if I have radiation sickness cause I've been getting random nosebleeds since I was a kid. My Grandma said that the radiation was supposed to make its way to Southern California either today or tomorrow but I doubt it will affect anyone since its not as concentrated.

Google.com has ways for your to donate to Japan's Red Cross where you donate in Yen or there are other charities listed that you can help with.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

My friend who lives in Tokyo has been posting regular updates on Facebook. He said that most stores are out or running very low on things like batteries, bottled water, food. He left Tokyo for a little bit and stayed with his former host family from when he was an exchange student, but he went back to Tokyo today. He sounds really down. I think the general morale there is very low right now.