I was woken up yesterday at 1446 by an the worst earthquake I've ever felt. I've been woken up before by them and most of the time it's no big deal and I go right back to sleep. This one was a lot different. It started off as a slow rumbling and and continued into a strong shaking. I wasn't really sure what to do so I quickly got dressed and stood in my door frame and ran through different emergency scenarios in my head. The shaking lasted for about 4 or 5 minutes or so. When it stopped I tried calling my friends to see if they were ok but the phones were down. Then I tried looking online, but my internet was down along with the power. Then another one started up just about as strong as the first one. I was getting super freaked out at this point cause I didn't know how close the epicenter was and I couldn't get ahold of anyone. The local police started driving around making announcements over loudspeakers... except I couldn't understand them since they were all in Japanese!! (I later learned they were tsunami warnings) I wasn't sure if I should get out of my apartment or not, and if I did, I didn't know where to go. I stayed in my place until about 5ish scared stiff from all the continuing aftershocks when a friend finally got through to me saying that a few girls were all hanging out at the hospital because they didn't know where to go either. So of course I went there and camped out at the hospital for the night. At least I was with other people and had news and internet to contact family!
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What would you do if you got this text
message?? I guess they're trying to say,
hold on cause its gonna be rockin' soon! |
Right now I'm sitting here with the random emergency earthquake texts on my phone. It's a very unnerving loud beeping sound with a little stick-man saying EARTHQUAKE followed by a bunch of kanji that I can't understand. So I turn on TV and try to translate the Japanese news channel to figure out where it was. Sounds like a fun night, huh! But, I did get some pictures of all the damage they're showing on TV.
I still can't get over all the devastating damage from the earthquake and tsunamis up north. Yokosuka is about 250 or so miles south from Sendai, Japan where the epicenter is. The US Navy has already deployed a few ships from here and the surrounding Pacific up north to help out with whatever they need. I haven't heard of any medical personnel going up there yet, but I will definitely keep you posted. Please keep all those affected by this disaster in your thoughts and prayers during the many days ahead of us.
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See I can understand Kanji... 5.8 earthquake at 2303.
Where you ask... haven't figured that out yet, but I definitely
felt it! That's what the internet's for. Let's hope it doesn't
go out again! |
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The fires breaking out up north. Note the little map in the
corner - that's showing all the tsunami warnings. Luckily,
we're ok in Yokosuka. |
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| Yes, that's 2 ships on top of a house! Crazy! |
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And to think that Japan is leading in earthquake-proof
architecture... That's one strong quake! (well technically
many many quakes now, but still) |
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| Tsunami wiping out much of the north-eastern coast of Japan |
So glad you're ok!
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