Sunday, March 13, 2011

"I'm so scared."

Since Friday I've been waiting to hear from a friend from Sendai. She now works at the Naval Base in Yokosuka. She was at work when the earthquake struck and the trains between work and home were stopped. It's Sunday morning now. She's just arrived home.

She is safe and trying to connect with her friends and family. So far she's not entirely successful. Now that she's home she's been updating her facebook status. It's like a narrative of what's happening for so many people in her situation, surrounded by devastation, struggling to connect with loved ones, and then having to face the increasing possibility of a nuclear meltdown. She mentioned "another Chernobyl" but actually, it could be that but times two. The world seems without foundation at the moment. She's scared. Really scared. Pick one - earthquake, missing family, tsunami, nuclear meltdown. Each alone are terrifying. She's trying to stay focused on doing the next best thing in the situation. Right now that's securing food and clean water. And continuing trying to locate her family in Sendai.

I don't know the extent of the organizations that are supporting earthquake and tsunami relief, but if you can, please donate to the Red Cross. And then go home and makes sure you're as prepared as possible with extra food and water (and a can opener) in your own disaster relief kit - and no candles or open flames, but flashlights and extra batteries please. In the pictures that are coming out, I have to say, I was impressed with the forethought in the little paper masks and the hard hats that so many office workers were wearing. You may consider adding those too - if there were to be a large earthquake in CA you know it's not just the initial shock that damages but the aftershocks too and the dust won't settle for a good long while.

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