View Full Version : Japan - a wake up call
Watching for footage from Japan has been horifying. They keep telling us Oregonians we are due for a large earthquake ourselves, either in the state or off shore like in Japan.
We have are own issues to worry about - I think I once counted about 9 large
earthen dams up behind us within about 40 miles. Our interstate highway has many bridges. Volcanos. Just a couple potential issues to worry about.
As members of the LDS Church we have always been encouraged to have a 72 hour pack, extra food, water, etc. I have to admit I have not been a faithful in preparedness. Our 72 hour packs probably have diapers them (our youngest is 14 yrs)! http://providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,8034-1,00.html
Are you prepared for a disaster? 72 hour pack? Extra food if the supply is cut off at stores? Extra Cash on hand if no power to ATM? Evacuation plan? Contact person out of the area? Do you keep the top 1/2 of your tank full? What have you done or need to do?
Are you prepared for a disaster? 72 hour pack? Extra food if the supply is cut off at stores? Extra Cash on hand if no power to ATM? Evacuation plan? Contact person out of the area? Do you keep the top 1/2 of your tank full? What have you done or need to do?
My 'inner doomer' has been reactivated by what's going on in Japan. I live in SoCal and have had to evacuate 3 times over the years because of wildfires. We are also ripe for a significant earthquake. I do try to keep some extra cash and a half tank of gas. I keep water in the car, but no food. I have wanted to put a pair of tennies in there for walking, but haven't yet. It's not cold enough here to worry about freezing, and there's usually a jacket or sweater in there anyway.
I think eveyrone should have at least 2 weeks of easy food in the house, and I do have that. And an alternate light source and wind-up or battery radio. I keep a minimum of 50 gallons of clean water, but I also now have a passive water filter (berkey) that is supposed to filter out everything bad. Because of our location, if roads were closed, stores would be quickly cleaned out and food here would be very limited. And if the 'guys on white horses' had to bring in food/water, I'd rather not stand in long lines. I have a solar oven (and bbq) for cooking rice or beans (just cooked beans in it yesterday). And there's always what's in the garden.
Evacuation plan by foot, yes, but not practical. By car - very vulnerable due to natural topography and limited roads.
Both my kids are in professions that are big on the west coast (film making, music), and I'm trying to talk them out of moving there. I hate living with that fear, but its not irrational.
Gina - you know I never thought about a pair of tennies for the car. My dw wears "flats" and they are not good for too much walking or heaven forbit some running. I will have to suggest this - I know she has "some" spares! Emphasis on "some" !!
Both my kids are in professions that are big on the west coast (film making, music), and I'm trying to talk them out of moving there. I hate living with that fear, but its not irrational.
Cathy, there's fear everywhere, it just takes different forms. It's actually pretty safe out here. Along the coast where I live we don't have tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanos, high humidity, little lightening, massive floods or blizzards or even snow. We do have fires, but so do many other places. Yes, there are occasional earthquakes, but there are other fault-lines in the US that could be horrid if they let loose - What's it called.. the New Madras Fault? (gotta look that up.) There are some pretty good 'earthquake risk maps' one can look up. I admit I would not want to live in a large city because of the quake potential.
The real upside? the weather is absolutely wonderful. I believe I could adjust to living anywhere, but I just adore living here.
Gina - you know I never thought about a pair of tennies for the car. My dw wears "flats" and they are not good for too much walking or heaven forbit some running. I will have to suggest this - I know she has "some" spares! Emphasis on "some" !!
I intend to put in a pair of used ones - the sort I save for garden use - still functional but past their prime. And socks. I really should put some 'easy' food in the car too, but I don't want to encourage vermin. The car often gets hot so that limits options.
Here's a US earthquake risk map. There are others, but I preferred this one with all the red color.
http://www.edgetech-us.com/images/Map/Gallery/INS/Earthquakes.gif
Here's one for the UK from a different site. Different colors too. Not sure their risk assessment parameters are the same.
http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/hazard/ukhazmap1.jpg
we are on the Pacific Coast in BC. We are up a hill, but close to the water. Not much chance of a tsunami here because the gulf islands get in the way. Now Vancouver island west coast is a bit more vulnerable.
It certainly is worth thinking about again.
Interesting map. The midwest looks pretty safe, earthquake-wise, but then there's that whole butt-deep snow and/or tornado thing.
Actually, the midwest isn't that safe, now that I think about it. Supposedly if the "big one" happened to the New Madras fault, the Great Lakes could drain out onto the midwest. :( But I still think the risk is much greater on the west coast. But at least you people there have heaven in the mean time!
Kally - be aware that there are local fault lines running up Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, which present to us here our greatest risk of tsunami - a local earthquake or displacement would create a pretty large, local tsunami, which would hit without much warning at all. There's geological evidence here in the San Juan Islands and down further south in Puget Sound of this having happened on a pretty epic scale in the past - unique beach materials from one area deposited far far away, and that sort of thing. We're all pretty protected from tsunamis originating further out in the Pacific though.
I prepare here for:
- Wildfire, our number one risk. My community participates heavily in the Firewise program (www.firewise.org), and spends a lot of time clearing brush and making our homes and community somewhat fire-survivable. A few years ago the state rated us as one of the top wildfire risk areas...
- Heavy storms. We've had 140+ knot winds whistle past here, we routinely get 50+ knot storms. These usually take out power and telecommunications, sometimes for a week or more.
- Winter storms. It's quite temperate here, and rarely below freezing in the winter. Unfortunately, this makes it worse, when we *do* have snow and ice, we don't have the equipment and skill to deal with it, and the temperature has an unfortunate habit of hanging around the freezing point during the day during these events, turning the roads into pure glare ice. I've had two friends die here in the last 5 years because they were driving on iced roads at a "sensible" speed, and went off a curve into deep, cold water, and drowned.
- Power outages. Storms, and random accidents, can take our power, and sometimes our telecommunications, offline for days. I went almost two weeks once a few years ago before power came back. This usually happens when the weather is unpleasant.
- Earthquake/tsunami. There are several major faults right here. We won't get much warning. There's been some discussion recently about putting up signs to map out the tsunami evac routes, but, like in Jaws, some people don't want to frighten off the tourists.
- Supply disruptions. Most supplies are brought in here by truck, and the trucks take the ferry. The ferry uses a single dock. A few years back, the ferry crashed into the dock, and destroyed it. It took several months to rebuild it. During this time, supplies were limited. Some can be brought in by barge, or air, but the bulk have to come in by that ferry. Even a simple mechanical failure of the ferry can result in the week's supplies being late, or not arriving at all.
- The US economy collapsing. I fundamentally do not believe our current system is sustainable, and expect there to be changes...sometime. Such changes are often unpleasant for those living through them. I had the great good luck to be able to discuss the Great Depression with relatives who experienced this.
- Crazy Terrorists with dirty bombs, biological weapons, exploding ships and planes, and all that rot. By living here, I'm pretty removed from most of that, and don't particularly worry. We were attacked a short while ago here by an ecoterrorist who took out our power substation to punish us for "the whales", but that's about it. They caught him before he could take out our dam. Homeland Security and FEMA were quite helpful in helping us prepare plans to harden our infrastructure after this.
- Y2K and Nuclear War and Asteroid Impacts and Zombie Uprisings: I like to watch movies about this sort of thing, but in real life, I'm not too concerned :-)
So, to deal with this all:
- I keep the typical emergency supplies, some in the house, some in a corner of the garage packed in ready-to-go boxes, in a spot where earthquake collapse won't make it hard to access, some in an outbuilding. I keep supplies in my boat, enough to live on it for 2-3 months. I keep emergency kits in the cars, which include a sturdy pair of shoes and spare socks, having seen my wife's attempt to get back home from her office after the Loma Prieta quake in California.
- I participate with CERT, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and our county emergency services.
- I have the house itself prepared to operate nearly indefinitely off-the-grid if need be. Wood stoves, kerosene lighting, the usual. My one weak spot is I need kerosene/lamp oil, and a small amount of gasoline, as I have a small generator which I can use to run the pump for the septic system as-needed. I have enough fuel supplies on-hand to last for a year or two though - if supplies aren't resumed by then, that's plenty of time to engineer other solutions. (The second weak spot is *nobody* can keep enough stock of toilet paper for a few years, it's a volume problem :-) ) I have enough food supplies here for years, I have LDS friends :-) I don't expect to live here for years on my disaster supplies, but it's sure handy to be able to help out your neighbors in time of need.
- I keep my vehicles ready-to-go. In particular, I keep my 4x4 truck ready to exit on a moment's notice, in < 5 minutes the whole family, pets, important items, and a couple of boxes of supplies packed for the purpose can be heading out my fire-trail escape route. I also keep my boat ready to simply untie from the dock and head out for a couple of months.
- My mother lives 6 miles away, in a home with different vulnerabilities. Many things that would take out one of our homes, would leave the other just fine. We each have room for the other to move in for extended periods of time.
- I go train with the Seattle PD at their firearms range a few times a month. Just in case of zombies :-)
Hahaha! Obviously, I should move back to Oregon. Maybe I can find a nice house on the side of Mt. Tabor, or maybe Rocky Butte.
ApatheticNoMore
3-14-11, 6:07pm
Well if there ever was an earthquake in the midwest and the like they really wouldn't be prepared. I mean I very much doubt they have seismic standards for their buildings etc.. I've heard people say they'd rather be in CA in an earthquake than most anywhere else on earth because of the standards. However, Japan had equally good if not better standards I imagine.
Are most of the people in Japan dying because they personally weren't prepared and didn't have extra water or canned foods or whatever or rather because they were drowned in Tsunamis (has to be the biggest killer), or buildings collapsed on them, or even because of fires caused by the earthquakes etc. (ok you can shut off the gas after an earthquake but beyond this ...). Never even mind what a nuclear reactor might decide to do. So yea you can prepare maybe for the 1% and there's no reason not to, but the 99% not so much so. You really think you're in control?
There's the New Madrid fault, which produced a tremor so strong it rerouted the Mississippi in places http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Seismic_Zone
And then there's the caldera underneath Yellowstone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_caldera that has all kinds of devastating potential. If you want to age prematurely, you can watch natural disaster marathons on various Discovery Channels. They'll animate all the possibilities for you. :0!
Well if there ever was an earthquake in the midwest and the like they really wouldn't be prepared. I mean I very much doubt they have seismic standards for their buildings etc..
You might be surprised if you looked at your state, county, or city's building codes. Since the 1970s, there has been an ongoing effort by planners to incorporate the model seismic codes relevant to each area's building codes, as a routine matter of best practice. (The Uniform Building Code has had seismic protection elements since 1927...)
Of the 7 states making up the New Madrid/Wabash Valley Seismic zone, 4 of them have comprehensive state-level seismic code requirements, and the other three have substantial city-level codes in many of the major cities.
Complying with the code adds very little to the cost of a building if done at the design stage (a couple of percent). It's very expensive to retrofit by comparison, and more expensive still to replace a destroyed structure.
LOL.........Gina, you and I were calling it the New Madras Fault. I guess we were thinking plaid.
rosarugosa
3-14-11, 7:32pm
I don't worry about any of this stuff. Maybe I should, but I don't :)
Here's an interesting map of nuclear power plants world-wide. 2005.
http://www.howtosurvive2012.com/jpg_files/world_map.jpg
Add: Just announced on CNN - another explosion at one of the troubled Japanese reactors - #2 reactor. That's the reactor they've been having the most trouble with.
LOL.........Gina, you and I were calling it the New Madras Fault. I guess we were thinking plaid.
Yes, oppsie. Not the worst mistake we could make. ;)
I know first hand about the power of Nature...having lost it all to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. I escaped with what I had on my back and almost 6 years later now live a very different life out of hurricane territory. Unfortunately, Nature deserves great respect.
I heard also (besides the island of Japan being shifted 8-13' to the east, the earthquake also changed the tilt of the earth's axis a smidgen. That's a little scary to me.
I guess I'm fortunate that I'm in a pretty "safe" area, except for tornadoes. But its also a pretty boring area, geographically/topographically speaking. But its home.
That really is sobering, Jinger. Nature is awe-inspiring in so many ways.
I was just reading that should Mt. Rainier erupt, the resulting lahar could cause a tsunami affecting Puget Sound as far north as Seattle, and could even cause one in Lake Washington. Good grief. Where did I put my waders?
I lived in Blytheville, Arkansas, for a few years. I kept a screwdriver next to my front door. Because there were so many small earthquakes (3.5 thereabouts) that I would frequently have to readjust the door plate in order to close the door. I also carried flood insurance, because I lived inside the diversion canals for the river. And we were all aware that an earthquake could well cause the sand/clay we lived on to shift and flood us all.
I've since moved to south central Indiana. That New Madrid fault has caused a few jiggles here in the past couple of years. We have earthquake insurance, because our house sits on a very steep hill.
We have earthquake insurance, because our house sits on a very steep hill.
Out here (socal) it's structures on the flat, deep soil areas that can sustain the most damage. The ground starts giggling and it 'liquifies' causing great instability for any buildings on top.
gimmethesimplelife
3-14-11, 10:32pm
I live in Phoenix, Arizona and I must say that for the most part, we are somewhat immune from natural disasters.....There are wildfires in Arizona in the summer, every few years a tornado (very bizarre here) will land and do limited damage - this happened outside of Flagstaff in the town of Bellmont last October, and in Phoenix we had a nasty hailstorm. Very rarely there are floods (just this past fall there were some homes washed away in far NW Arizona), but all of these are quite rare. It is a bit unsettling though to look at the map and see that Arizona does have some earthquake risk though - no reason to be so complacent on my part. You just never know.....Rob
A crowbar is a good thing to keep in the car or by one's bed, especially here in SoCal.
I posted a 'challenge' in the food thread for planning preparedness in terms of food if you have no power or fuel.
I'm getting better in general. I only have 5 gallons of stored water, but it's a start. I have about thirty cans of foods and several packages of pasta and rice. But it's a start! We'd live for 72 hours I'd think. I'm keeping the car fueled. We have two crank emergency lamps where we can reach them. The family paper work in one location, a crank flashlight in the car. Other things are a present but a bit more scattered. Working on building my stash of cash. Don't have a WTSHTF bag, but I'm thinking of the things in theory and being more mindful. I don't really have alternate forms of fuel for cooking or warmth.
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 9:33am
Most of our fears are irrational. I was once on a tour bus visiting various Arkansas historical sites related to Mountain Meadows and was ironically asked by a Californian how I could stand living in Tornado Ally. I reminded him even the largest tornadoes only cover a relatively tiny area when you consider all of Oklahoma. The chances of one hitting me or mine are extremely remote, statistically speaking. Every time a major one touches down anywhere in Oklahoma I get panicked calls from family around the country to ask if I'm okay.
I chatted with one of my best buds online yesterday who lives in Sendai. He was in his home playing online games when the quake hit. He assures me that as bad as it looks and horrific as it was for so many people, it is being way overblown by the US and other western media outlets (big surprise, that). Most of Japan and indeed Sendai is just fine. He has electricity and food and water. His extended family of in-laws live on an island and they are fine, as well. The tsunami and the quake itself affected a relatively small area, and this from a guy who was right there.
Me, I'm working toward self sufficiency, so I'm prepared for natural (and unnatural) disasters, but I do it for reasons other than fear. I don't have time for such stuff.
That's really odd Storyteller. How do you explain the all the visuals we're getting of all the destruction? (not to mention the 4 nuclear reactor problems).
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 10:40am
Sensationalism. The 24 hour news media focus on the worst of the worst, feeding on our emotions, particularly our fears. There is no question it is a terrible disaster, but my friend (who is actually there) assures me it is nonetheless not nearly as bad as our news media are making it look.
I live in the midwest, so most of our natural disasters are related to winter storms and tornadoes. But a couple of years ago, we had a slight earthquake. It was small, but we all felt it and were totally freaked out. We are sitting on a fault line here in IA and IL...so far we have been lucky, but we could experience a strong earthquake here and almost no one would be prepared for it.
ApatheticNoMore
3-15-11, 11:21am
The nuclear threat is probably overblown. Now I don't support nuclear power plants in earthquake zones (or really much in non-earthquake zones), not too happy about them here, would oppose new ones, etc.. but the Japanese will probably mostly be alright from the nuclear threat (less so perhaps the people in the immediate vicinity). Those plants do have a lot of contingencies.
As for the earthquake itself being overblown, it has now been revised to a 9.0 earthquake. Now I will readily say I've never lived through an earthquake of that size, I've lived through earthquakes in the 6's. They were scary as hell!!! And I have been getting under desks since I was a kid. An earthquake of that size (9.0) is just unfathomable, I mean I don't think anyone here has ever anticipated an earthquake of that size could hit them (maybe it can't, it depends on the size of the fault lines, I'm not sure they are that big here, there's so much we really don't know about faults and earthquakes really). The historically big earthquakes in CA were in the 7's. The whole seismic scale is a logarithmic scale!
So maybe we will have a death toll around 10,000 in Japan (don't want to contemplate it could be more, but it could be 20,000 who knows). Can you imagine if we had a similar death toll in San Diego, L.A., San Francisco? Now yes those are cities of *millions*, but it's still staggering. Sure a lot of people also die in traffic accidents or whatever. But in a few days the number of dead, just from the earth deciding to shake ..... These earthquakes are a lot more destructive than previously believed (maybe not the 7's and stuff we planned for but a 9.0). Yes it makes one feel a lot less safe just driving the streets I do everyday, really seeing the place for the first time (and yes what lies under).
I think its just as bad as it looks, going on the visuals. I mean come on......ships/cars/semis in huge numbers floating over the land?? Towns that once were, are no more? Should we expect to start seeing Godzilla too?
From the news this morning the nuclear threat does not look overblown. It looks like the containment vessel in one of the plants has been breached and there was a fire at a containment pond for spent nuclear fuel.
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 2:22pm
I sometimes can't decide if people actually read what I write, if they read it but choose to ignore what I said in order to argue with something I didn't, or if I'm so bad at communicating my thoughts that they completely miss what I was trying to say.
Probably a mixture of all of the above.
Storyteller, I read everything you wrote. I guess it bothered me that you seemed to minimalize the disaster to these people. I just didn't understand how it could be a matter of "sensationalism" when we were seeing the horror with our own eyes. I don't think the Japanese people are ones to make things look worse than they are. And if anything, they've tried to keep the nuclear problem from seeming worse than it is. In fact, I think it IS worse than has been reported.
I know the media (the U.S. especially) seems to love to make things look worse than they are.......but I really think for this particular section of Japan, it IS as bad as it looks. Of course its not the entire country, but I still think for an unfortunate section, it feels like the end of the world. (And it was the end of life for thousands).
Now the nuclear problem could make it the whole country's problem.....and even other countries. I just hope they can contain it.
I wasn't trying to be rude to you Storyteller. I guess what you said about "sensationalism" just rubbed me the wrong way.
Still friends? :)
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 3:29pm
And you would of course know more than someone who is actually there.
And you would of course know more than someone who is actually there.
How many bodies has your friend in Sendai seen wash up on the beaches?
I really can't make sense of what your friend has told you. I just can't. Perhaps he lives on the farest outskirts of the city? I'm glad he didn't suffer any damage or loss. He's very lucky. That doesn't mean it wasn't horrible for others, or that the media has made it worse than it is for those people.
Are the news reports of hundreds of thousands of people homeless now in temporary shelters, and tens of thousands still missing inaccurate?
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 7:07pm
I really can't make sense of what your friend has told you. I just can't. Perhaps he lives on the farest outskirts of the city? I'm glad he didn't suffer any damage or loss. He's very lucky. That doesn't mean it wasn't horrible for others, or that the media has made it worse than it is for those people.
I apologize for coming on so strongly in the above. I am only going by what he said. That would have been a better way to put it. He lives in the heart of the city, lived through the quake (which was understandably frightening), has many students (he owns a school there) that were affected in one way or another, has extended family of in-laws on an island somewhere. This has been his home for more than 16 years. Yet still he says, what you see on the tv here in the states is not what you see on the ground generally in the area.
Here is what I said originally:
"He assures me that as bad as it looks and horrific as it was for so many people, it is being way overblown by the US and other western media outlets (big surprise, that). Most of Japan and indeed Sendai is just fine."
If you look at that, I (by extension, he) am not minimizing the suffering that is ongoing for so many. I'm only passing on his caution to not buy in to the media hype. I don't really know. And maybe he doesn't, either. Maybe he is in a sort of denial.
All I know is, I'm not there. Neither is anyone else here. He is.
The point I was actually trying to make is, look how frightened so many of you are here. Like you might be next. But if you think of it, here is a guy who is right there with all of this, and he and everyone he knows is just fine. If something SHOULD happen in your area, chances are you would be, too.
I should add, however, that one reason he is doing fine is because he was prepared. He was stocked up with food and water for a long period. That kind of goes along with the original theme of this thread. Be prepared.
Just don't be frightened.
If ye are prepared, you shall not fear --- well okay, maybe just a bit. But in seeing the clips from the Japanese news reports I would be scared as hell. The power of that water is unbelievable.
Being prepared will ease a lot of worry and anxiety. If you end up not needing your supplies - you can always share it with those in need. My parents are very prepared and as they say, "with a little extra for our good neighbors."
Preparedness doesn't necessarily mean in case of a disaster/natural or man made. It could be a personal disaster. Loss of job, health, etc. that could put a strain on the budget. By being self suffieient you can take care of yourself instead of relying on someone else or the government. Or government aid might not be enough so having extra cash, food, etc. will make the personal disaster more bearable.
I lived in a town where a number of years ago there was a horrible fire that took out several hundred homes. Yet in my own home I was safe and warm and probably was watching TV within a day or so. It's all perspective.
Sure, most people in Japan weren't affected, but to say a disaster wasn't all that bad because most people are safe is downplaying the thousands of dead and hundreds of thousands now without homes and communities totally wiped off the map. Your friend might not really want to acknowledge yet how bad things are for that many people. Perhaps he is in grief or one of the stages or mourning that doesnt allow him to fully comprehend what's going on.
And the nuclear disasters? I've been watching and it seems extremely serious. And it's not nearly over. We won't know what really happened for days or weeks or perhaps even months. They have ordered most of the 700-800 (?) employees out and only 50 remain to take care of 4 serioulsy damaged nuclear reactors. Many say some of these brave people will now die from raditation poisoning. 3 of the reactors are thought to have partial meltdowns, the 4th containing spent but still radioactive fuel rods is on fire.
Just don't be frightened.
I doubt even if things really got worse with the nuclear situation in Japan, there is little to be frightened about here in the US. But in places such as Tokyo, I'd be very worried if the wind shifts.
That said, fear is a very functional feeling state, so it's not wise to dismiss it out of hand. There was a book, The Gift of Fear. (Gavin DeBecker I think). I've always loved that title. It's not a sign of weakness to feel fear, it's a survival mechanism.
Fear is a messenger and tells us when to perk up and pay attention. It's often a life-saving tool. So if people are afraid because of the disasters in Japan, that's not necessarily a bad thing if they decide to prepare and take personal responsibility for themselves and their family for potential disasters most likely to occur in their own areas.
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 9:15pm
That said, fear is a very functional feeling state, so it's not wise to dismiss it out of hand.
I don't dismiss fear. Only irrational fear, particularly when it is due to the amplification effect of the 24 hour news cycle. It isn't healthy. Turn off the dang TV.
Turn off the dang TV.
No thanks, Dad. ;) I'm a big girl and can make my own decision about what information I take in. I do turn off horror movies and I abhor watching gratuitous violence, but I do watch significant news events.
In spite of the horrible images of the death and destruction, I am finding the science earthquakes, tsumanis and the nuclear aspects very interesting and quite educational. I am learning alot about nuclear reactors and what can go wrong. Since there are nuclear reactors in my state, and they are along fault lines, I think it's good that I educate myself. I also live along the Pacific coast and been through earthquakes. We also had a tsumani warning here this past week too, but nothing came of it.
I am reasonably concerned, but not especially afraid of what I'm seeing in Japan, though there would be nothing wrong if I were. I do understand why some might be frightened however but they can make up their own minds whether to watch or not.
The Storyteller
3-15-11, 10:03pm
You know, in fairness to my friend and to all of you, perhaps I should just remove myself as a filter so you can judge what he is trying to say and just copy one of his private messages to me. There is no self-identifying information here, so I don't think I am betraying a confidence. It isn't as if he is at all dismissive of the tragedy, and he is certainly not untouched by it as I may have implied. We also spoke during a chat session and he also said people on the streets are very depressed and sad, and he goes about trying to cheer them up with a smile, but it isn't an entirely heartfelt one.
I was going to write JUST a tad SOONER to say this BUT...somehow an earthquake got in the way. Everyone around ME is fine...but one of my best friends has yet to respond so I am worried about that. It's been quite an ordeal, I'll tell you what. I am learning about how many people are either dead or presumed lost and I feel that I cannot be fully happy ntil know how this is all going to turn out. I will tell you that the news reports from the states have some of this VERY overblown...MOST of Japan is not underwater. And a good lot of the people, although affected...were not put out into the streets. I mean..I have electricity and food and water. Although... I think SOME people aren't as prepared as me.
Thank you for your concern my dear friend. I will write again more to let you know.
Thanks, that makes much more sense. He isn't minimizing it at all, just putting it into perspective. As originally presented, I had the impression your friend was saying something similar to me here in California saying Katrina was no big deal and going back to my video game.
flowerseverywhere
3-16-11, 7:11am
The nuclear threat is probably overblown. Now I don't support nuclear power plants in earthquake zones (or really much in non-earthquake zones), not too happy about them here, would oppose new ones, etc.. but the Japanese will probably mostly be alright from the nuclear threat (less so perhaps the people in the immediate vicinity). Those plants do have a lot of contingencies.
I think we are seeing the worst nuclear catastrophe we could ever imagine unfold before our very eyes.
While I agree the news media does sensationalize, I also know some truths about the natural disaster that overtook the Gulf coast almost 6 years ago when a whole city was totally under water. Even today, parts of that city are still barren. In an instant, a flood washed away all semblance of life for thousands. I can only imagine how it must be in Japan.
Another example of fear taking over from our paper this morning.
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-area-consumers-fearing-radiation-from-japan-snap-1323876.html
Gina, I heard on the news that Santa Cruz suffered about 3 million in loses from the boats being destroyed from the mini tsunami there.
ApatheticNoMore
3-16-11, 11:37am
You assume we are watching the full horror of it on the t.v. Maybe we don't because we can't. We don't have a t.v. :P. Ok while that's true, I also don't watch all the youtubes or anything either (I've seen a few) because if I looked at all those I'm not sure I could live in Southern CA anymore.
I've been emotionally affected a lot just when there have been fires here that have burned up the natural areas I have known all my life. And that didn't even involve almost any people!!!! It was just nature. But it was places I had been to all my life suddenly destroyed (and again that was nature as part of the naturall cycle and will renew!). People being drowned by the thousands and stuff by tsunamis I can't even imagine, I can't even imagine if that happened on the beaches here, places I have been to many many times even though I do not live there.
As for the nukes, still do think the threat is overblown, but anyway feel there is so little we can do. We're not going to be able to disable the nuclear plants here just because of the disaster in Japan. Maybe at best slow down the development of new ones. Maybe certain sections of the planet 100-200 years from now are just nuclear fallout zones due to nuke plants in earthquake areas (japan, the west coast, china etc.). Ha, yea I know we're lucky if humanity survives on the planet that long anyway, right ..... with all the other non-nuclear problems.
ApatheticNoMore
3-16-11, 12:16pm
I am reminded of an anti-nuclear protest song though (apparently not very well known as I can't find it anywhere):
OUR LIVES were too cheap to meter ..
Too cheap to meter ...
Too cheap to mater!
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