Earthquake

I apologize for the delay in updating, but I felt that it was due especially considering recent news.

Today, on March 11, a major earthquake struck Japan, registering an 8.9 on the Richter scale near the epicenter. It was around 10 kilometers deep, located on a sinking tectonic plate. It registered at an 8.4 in Sendai, which is in northern Honshu (the main island). In Chiba prefecture, an oil refinery caught on fire and the flames are reportedly several meters tall. They are still battling them.  At Tokyo Tower, which shook from the quake, the earthquake was measured at a 6. But in the rest of Tokyo, it was said to be at a 5 magnitude. In Tokyo's waterfront Odaiba district, a building caught on fire. Storefronts in Yokohama were seen collapsing.

In Japan, where buildings are under strict requirements to be resistant to these types of earthquakes, it is rare to see buildings shake so badly and rarer still to see the Japanese so excited about it. But this is the biggest earthquake to hit Japan this century.

It seems that most of the damage was done in the aftershocks though, which triggered landslides, destroyed older buildings, and caused widespread reports of tsunamis. Sendai experienced a tsunami up to 10 meters tall. Much of the airport has been wiped out, and a whirlpool is fast developing. Tokyo experienced a tsunami that was a couple meters.

The death toll stands right now at 29. Most people seem to be ok, but there are obviously reports of injuries, etc. The trains, Shinkansen, buses, subways, etc. have all stopped. Power has shut off in Tokyo to prevent fires, and phone service is limited. It seems as if messages go through every now and then, but none of the calls are possible. The nuclear reactors also around the country have shut down, thank goodness due to failsafes.

I'll give more information as it comes.

Michelle