Who else lost power? Ours was out in Aomori from last night until this afternoon. It’s still out in parts of Iwate from what I understand. Was Tokyo ok this time around?
A friend in Tsuruoka lost power till lunchtime today, and Sendai is still out as far as I can gather. My Morioka friend is out still and my husband said that Kesennuma got power back for the first time the other day and it’s right back out again. “Only” three deaths reported so far. Two heart attacks and one woman whose breathing machine stopped, sadly.
Japan sits next to 3 different plate systems. I think the common fear was that Tokyo was more likely to get hit with “the big one” because of the proximity to the center point of the 3 plates.
I’ve been through a 1 metre tsunami. It rocked the boats a bit and sploshed over a low sea wall, but that’s all - unless you’re right by the sea or on a docked or anchored boat, don’t sweat it. The terror in the three hours before it arrived was intense, though - we didn’t know how big it was going to be.
We’re watching tv tonight about how people are trying to rebuild. There’s no land for rebuilding in places, or the owners of the land can’t be located. The national government will fund building temporary housing, but the local city needs to do everything, and there aren’t enough people.
There are factories where everything was washed away, and the equipment was covered in sea water. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be there now.
Another aftershock today, but only a 6.6. However, since it was closer Tokyo, we could feel it. It wasn’t that strong, but lasted a long time.
It was also close to the reactors, but it looks like they are OK.
Four big ones in the past hour. Sigh. But the TV programmes are now back on as normal so I guess that no news is good news.
Has anyone heard any talk about possibly spreading infrastructure throughout the country rather than keeping all their eggs in one basket (Tokyo)? The national effects of the blackouts in Tokyo (for example, I wasn’t able to use my card in a Lawson’s ATM here in Osaka a few days after the quake because the network in Tokyo was down) made me wonder how screwed the country will be when the anticipated Big One strikes Tokyo itself.
Ten quakes over 4.4 M and up to 6.6 M since 5 pm, four hours ago. This is ridiculous. Friends in the area are just so tired.
Jeez…
I read an interesting article on CNN yesterday about some ridiculous amount of safes and money being washed ashore due to the tsunami and how hard it was going to be to get the money back to its original owners (assuming they survived). They went on to mention that its kind of a big deal as Japan has such a large elderly population and that most or many of them kept their money in safes in their homes rather than put it into banks.
This whole thing is crazy.
“The whole thing is crazy” and “it’s a complete mess” are sort of defining traits for a genuine “disaster”.
I don’t envy anyone sorting through all that.
I just got a phone call from my husband yesterday as he was boarding a ferry to come home for some R & R for the first time since the earthquake! He will be home tonight! YEAH! We haven’t seen him for seven weeks, since the weekend before it all happened. The kids are thrilled! I’m a bit nervous… It’s going to be weird for him coming back to such complete normality.
First he said that they had been given two days off. But now they are talking about regrouping as there is lots of stuff they need to fix and restock in their camp, and there is a big holiday coming up so there are rumours flying about, about them working here next week to sort out, clean up and reboot, then take the week off as planned, then go back again for another few months. I like this plan but I think it probably won’t happen so I haven’t told the kids that bit.
Hey, that’s great! That will be really good for everyone.
I’m sure you are aware that there can be a form of PTSD among rescue workers, especially those who have had to witness a lot of death and loss, so be gentle with him.
Anyway, do have a lot of fun!
We’re going to fly down to Taiwan, pick up the kids, spend the week and bring them back.
Yay! Even if he just gets to be home for a couple of days… He gets to be home!
And a safe trip there and back for the Tokyo Family.
Thanks for the updates.
I’m bumping this thread to post a link to these amazing pictures charting the progress of the cleanup. It’s slow but clearly steady and fantastically efficient.
The last one with regrown vegetation is lovely, but for some reason the one with the vans for sale made me smile the most. Life goes on.