Thinking of those in Japan today

[Liz]

I thought I would start a thread if anyone would like to express their thoughts and/or prayers for all those in Japan and or other places affected by today's earthquake and tsunami.

Seeing some of the scenes directly from Japan today is heartbreaking. I'm wondering if anyone here is from Japan or has any family or friends who are there.

I will personally keep this situation in my prayers. May God bless everyone.

Liz

[n8]

Just saw that during my daily browsing, certainly puts things into perspective. Thanks for bringing attention to it.

[Photo-John]

I am thinking of Japan. Definitely. Anything I could say would seem so trite, though.

This kind of disaster is a reminder of how small and powerless we really are. Every moment is a gift, a blessing.

Thanks for starting this thread, Liz.

[Photo-John]

The Boston Globe has an online photo gallery of events called "The Big PIcture." Here's their photo gallery of the earthquake:

The Big Picture Japan Earthquake Photos >>

The Big Picture is one of my favorite photojournalist photo sources on the internet. They provide excellent photo coverage of all kinds of global events. I can't recommend it enough.

[Liz]

The Boston Globe has an online photo gallery of events called "The Big PIcture." Here's their photo gallery of the earthquake:

The Big Picture Japan Earthquake Photos >>

The Big Picture is one of my favorite photojournalist photo sources on the internet. They provide excellent photo coverage of all kinds of global events. I can't recommend it enough.

Thank you for the link. I appreciate it.

Liz

[maplestreet]

Sending good thoughts to all those suffering today.

[maplestreet]

Another just hit Nagano that was 6.6... Jeez

[Loupey]

Just devastating. I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins who live in and around Sendai. All telephone communications are cut. Several friends and family members in other areas of Japan are trying to contact them and will notify us the moment they have any information.

I took my family there a couple years ago. Incidentally, when we first arrived in Japan back then, Sendai was hit with an earthquake.

Waiting for more information...

[Liz]

Just devastating. I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins who live in and around Sendai. All telephone communications are cut. Several friends and family members in other areas of Japan are trying to contact them and will notify us the moment they have any information.

I took my family there a couple years ago. Incidentally, when we first arrived in Japan back then, Sendai was hit with an earthquake.

Waiting for more information...

Loupey,

I remember when you went to Japan, and that you have many family members there. I will pray that you get good news quickly. I'm sorry to hear this. It makes it personal to many of us who have known you for so long.

Please keep us updated.

Liz

[armando_m]

such a tragedy

[ksbryan0]

The devastation depicted in the images on PJ's link are simply mind-boggling. Truly a very sad and tragic situation.

[Grandpaw]

We were hit by Katrina so I can feel their pain, Jeff

[Photo-John]

Just devastating. I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins who live in and around Sendai. All telephone communications are cut. Several friends and family members in other areas of Japan are trying to contact them and will notify us the moment they have any information.

I hope you get news soon, Loupey. And I hope it's all good news.

[WesternGuy]

The Boston Globe has an online photo gallery of events called "The Big PIcture." Here's their photo gallery of the earthquake:

The Big Picture Japan Earthquake Photos >>

The Big Picture is one of my favorite photojournalist photo sources on the internet. They provide excellent photo coverage of all kinds of global events. I can't recommend it enough.

Photo-John, thanks for posting the link. These are the best images I have seen of the terrible damage done by the earthquakes and the tsunami that followed. I sat in horror last night as I watched some of the "on-scene" imagery from CNN's feed and just could not believe my eyes. As a retired geologist, I am well aware of the "situation" that the Pacific "ring of fire" creates for those who live on, near, or around it, but this is...well...the worst I have ever seen. When I went tonight and checked the US Geological Survey site on world earthquakes, I was just totally blown away by the fact that there have been over 200 aftershocks, with magnitude greater than 2.5, up and down the coast in the offshore area of Sendai. In all the years I have been keeping an eye on this web site, I do not ever remember so many aftershocks and so many of such high magnitude associated with a primary quake so large - it really blows my mind and just serves to underline how small I personally feel when a disaster of this magnitude happens. For those of you who may not be aware, this is the fifth largest earthquake to occur on the planet since the year 1900.

To Loupey and others who have family and friends there, my thoughts are with you all. Liz, my thanks to you for starting this thread.

Kindest regards,

WesternGuy

[Liz]

Photo-John, thanks for posting the link. These are the best images I have seen of the terrible damage done by the earthquakes and the tsunami that followed. I sat in horror last night as I watched some of the "on-scene" imagery from CNN's feed and just could not believe my eyes. As a retired geologist, I am well aware of the "situation" that the Pacific "ring of fire" creates for those who live on, near, or around it, but this is...well...the worst I have ever seen. When I went tonight and checked the US Geological Survey site on world earthquakes, I was just totally blown away by the fact that there have been over 200 aftershocks, with magnitude greater than 2.5, up and down the coast in the offshore area of Sendai. In all the years I have been keeping an eye on this web site, I do not ever remember so many aftershocks and so many of such high magnitude associated with a primary quake so large - it really blows my mind and just serves to underline how small I personally feel when a disaster of this magnitude happens. For those of you who may not be aware, this is the fifth largest earthquake to occur on the planet since the year 1900.

To Loupey and others who have family and friends there, my thoughts are with you all. Liz, my thanks to you for starting this thread.

Kindest regards,

WesternGuy

Thank you for posting this information with such clarity and compassion. Coming from a geologist, all that you have shared certainly puts things in perspective, and makes us more aware of the worldwide effects and consequences that can (and do) occur with such an earthquake and tsunami of this magnitude. I can't even fathom the emotional effects and pain that the people in Japan and their families and loved ones all over the world are experiencing at this time. Thankfully the US and so many other countries, organizations and individuals are reaching out to help and offer support to them in so many ways.

God bless all those in Japan, their families and their loved ones all over the world.

Liz

[Grandpaw]

Loupey, I hope you get some good news shortly. I will be hoping and praying for the best news to come your way, Jeff

[Loupey]

Thankfully the US and so many other countries, organizations and individuals are reaching out to help and offer support to them in so many ways.

Seeing so many countries offering aid so quickly shows that we all are members of the same family on this little planet.

Liz, Photo-John, and Grandpaw - thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We just learned this afternoon that all my relatives are accounted for and well. Most live in the seaside village of Shiogama between Sendai and the ocean and their proximity to the ocean and low elevation gave us reason for grave concern. But the location of the epicenter allowed a small series of offshore islands to absorb the direct effects of the tsunami for their area.

Please continue to offer your thoughts, prayers, aid, and support to all those still suffering so much loss and pain.

Sincerely,
Hideta

[CaraRose]

Just devastating. I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins who live in and around Sendai. All telephone communications are cut. Several friends and family members in other areas of Japan are trying to contact them and will notify us the moment they have any information.

I took my family there a couple years ago. Incidentally, when we first arrived in Japan back then, Sendai was hit with an earthquake.

Waiting for more information...

My thoughts are with you and your family, Loupey.

[Liz]

Seeing so many countries offering aid so quickly shows that we all are members of the same family on this little planet.

Liz, Photo-John, and Grandpaw - thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We just learned this afternoon that all my relatives are accounted for and well. Most live in the seaside village of Shiogama between Sendai and the ocean and their proximity to the ocean and low elevation gave us reason for grave concern. But the location of the epicenter allowed a small series of offshore islands to absorb the direct effects of the tsunami for their area.

Please continue to offer your thoughts, prayers, aid, and support to all those still suffering so much loss and pain.

Sincerely,
Hideta

Loupey,

I'm so happy to know that all of your relatives are accounted for and well. Wow! This is such good new, and what a relief for you.

Thank you for the update..

I will certainly continue to pray for and support in whatever small ways I can for all those who continue to suffer - in so many ways from this terrible tragedy.

God bless you and your family!

Liz

[Photo-John]

Any word from your family in Japan, Loupey?

[Loupey]

Any word from your family in Japan, Loupey?

My family is OK. When I posted #17 earlier, my one aunt who lives in central Sendai was assumed to be OK by others who live nearby. But it was confirmed yesterday when my aunt was found in a shelter by my cousins.

Shiogama and Matsushima (where 3 of my aunts and uncles live - about a dozen miles north of the flooded airport) were protected by the islands. Shiogama will be a major port to receive disaster relief supplies.

However, we have friends in Tagajo just 2~3 miles south of Shiogama who we have not heard from yet. Another family friend lives near his factory in Watari (about 10 miles south of the airport) and this area was hit particularly hard as the shoreline is completely unprotected and nearly perpendicular to the path of the tsunami. We do not know about their status

My other family members in Tokyo, Osaka, and southern Japan have said that people are getting frustrated as to what to do regarding the nuclear problem. Conflicting statements from the government is making the uncertainty even more unbearable. The electric company is turning off electricity to different parts of the grid in 3 hour increments in order to conserve electricity - this part doesn't seem to be an issue to the people however some fatalities caused by automobile accidents during the blackouts have started to occur.

[GB1]

Yes, Japan's and the Japanese people are really taking it on the chin. They're dealing with it quite well though .. very little panic if any.

A tsunami is a pretty scary thing. I think of them when running on the boardwalk here in San Diego, as it's pretty flat there and their small seawall is only about four feet high. Luckily for us, this area is not very susceptible to them like Japan is.

It's also terrible how nearly the worst case scenario happened with the atomic reactors. I guess when it rains, it pours (not to sound trite though, as PJ said).

A friend of mine's daughter is (was) in Tokyo on a one semester exchange program, studying Japanese. Lewis & Clark decided to evacuate their students several days ago, calculating that if it gets any worse that the flights out would be taken. They don't know when the students will return - this semester could be a wash for them. But I think it was very prudent on their part.

Gb

[Loupey]

My mother's family live on the opposite end of Japan in southern Japan and they have told us that stores even that far away are running out of rice, instant meals (cup-o-noodles and such), toilet paper, and batteries. They hope that distributors are rerouting supplies to those in greatest need of such supplies and hope that people aren't hoarding supplies which, to them, would be "very sad".

[Grandpaw]

Just thought I would bump this up and see how your family and friends are doing Loupey. How they are all still doing OK, Jeff

[Loupey]

Our friends in Tagajo and Watari are OK as well. The factory owner has been trying to get his facility up and running to resume parts production for Honda and Toyota.

My uncle in Shiogama was talking to his friend who had been visiting his home when the earthquake began. When the tsunami warning came, my uncle and his wife (who are both elderly and not in the best of health) were able to ride out in the friend's truck and outrun the tsunami. It was sheer luck as only a small percentage of people in Japan have cars.

When they returned to their home, they found their neighbor, who stayed behind, was OK but said that the flood that came through was 1.5 meters deep (5 feet) and he was able to not get washed away by holding on to the top of a door frame.

My uncle and his wife, with the help of that same friend who drove them to safety, have started to rebuild their home.

It is very frustrating to try to get any information from the news. The relative lack of information for such a large event seems exceptionally odd.