They are either ill-informed, or they know the wind does not always blow away from Tokyo.
The wind must have been blowing in some direction, so perhaps the people in those prefectures would have reason to panic and run away. Though, in looking at the posted chart, I am having difficulty detecting the prefecture that has a dangerously high level of radiation.
Amen. Those are the same “ill-informed and panicked people” who in the US are buying up potassium iodide pills, because OMG radiation!
As for smoking, I have no cites or measurements, but I’d be willing to wager that the particulate cloud from the burning refinery in Chiba represented a much greater threat to public health, overall, than the Fukushima reactor situation will. I also would not be surprised one iota if those who have hopped on planes to leave Japan will end up getting a larger radiation dose simply by flying in a commercial aircraft than they ever would have from the reactors.
The winds have been blowing predominately offshore.
Point taken, although I will note that the USS Reagan, which was offshore near Fukushima until they moved due to concerns about radioactivity, still only detected an amount of radiation “equivalent to the background radiation you would get in one month from sun, soil, etc.” It would obviously be better if there were an actual number in mSv here, but as far as I can tell, the Navy didn’t release that information.
That was two days ago. A lot has changed since then.
If you have better information, could you please share it?
Here is what the head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported to Congress today:
The situation is deteriorating hourly.
Thanks. I had not been aware that they were having this much trouble re-cooling the rods in the spent fuel pool.
Speaking as a non-expert, this seems worrisome to say the least.
TEPCO says all is well. Don’t worry.
heard today and yesterday they are looking for retirees to go in for the work at the nuclear plant. thought is they would die from other causes before they developed cancer from this exposure.
On the topic of the tsunami, I found this report particularly horrifying.
I didn’t word that well. #4 was burning, #2 has the breached inner core and that is, to my understanding, where most of the radioactivity is coming from. As that reactor spikes radioactivivity they have to pull people away from the area. This is independent of the spent fuel rod pool situation. Of course, there is no clear source of information from Japan.
They’re talking about possibly bringing in fire trucks and using helicopter fire buckets to fight this.
and then there is this:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said in Washington on Wednesday that all the water was gone from the spent fuel pools at Unit 4 of the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, but Japanese officials denied it.
NHK’s live English feed is currently showing video of helicopters dropping water upon Reactor 3 and I believe, Reactor 4.
That is an absolutely horrifying story, MsWhatsit
Not all stories are sad:
**Japan’s science ministry has observed radiation levels of up to 0.33 millisieverts per hour in areas about 20 kilometers northwest of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Experts say exposure to such radiation for 3 hours would result in absorption of 1 millisievert, or the maximum considered safe for 1 year.**
I got a buddy headed that way with supplies. Not really happy about the progress they’re making.
How are people suppose to look for survivors under these conditions.
Good website. According to the live press conference they wanted to do the water drops yesterday but didn’t because of the levels of radiation.
I wondered if they had given thought to bringing Elvis up from Australia but it would have to be a military crew so nobody could fly it.
The Earth is angry.
Tsunami warning issued after 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake near Vanuatu. Earthquake happened 30 minutes ago.
Check that, apparently the Tsunami warning was never issued. The Tsunami warning is the warning from last Friday.
Blame it on Breaking News Twitter feed.
That first link is incorrect: it’s to the cancellation of the tsunami warnings after the NE Japan quake on Friday. For the correct statement, go here.
There is no Pacific tsunami warning for this quake, at least not beyond the local area (100 km). “No destructive widespread tsunami threat exists.”
EDIT: heh, simulpost! Sorry.