Japan quake disaster

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

There's been a huge explosion at the Power Plant in Fukushima. The exclusion zone has been extended from 10km to 20km and a state of emergency has been declared. So by my reckoning that would mean Yoshi is still about 10km outside the exclusion zone but it seems to be expanding all the time.

There are also reports of queues for fuel at petrol stations so it could mean it's getting more and more difficult for people to get away from the immediate danger.

Here's a link to the BBC live news feed.


Pol

[Caz]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Watching that news feed is frightening - our thoughts are with you Yoshi, hope you stay well and safe

[Goatsmilkuk]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Been watching the news and find it terrifying to watch, I can't even begin to imagine how it must be to actually be there. I just hope things start to get better soon for everyone in Japan and everyone around the world who have family and friends there.

Stuart

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Been watching the news and find it terrifying to watch, I can't even begin to imagine how it must be to actually be there. I just hope things start to get better soon for everyone in Japan and everyone around the world who have family and friends there.

Stuart

I agree. Terrifying and heartbreaking. I hope Yoshi has good shelter, enough food and fuel to keep himself warm, fed and able to evacuate the area if that becomes necessary.

I don't suppose he'll be able to get through to post now. He'll need all his resources for coping and day-to-day survival.

Pol

[Ian]

Re: Japan quake disaster

The coastal town that was basically washed away - looks like 10,000 may be lost from there alone.

Yoshi is around 30km from the nuclear plant that is experiencing difficulties, so he may have to evacuate.

Ian

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Many thanks for the warm words everybody.
My internet access was suddenly cut off after my last posting on Saturday morning and now unexpectedly i can do it again.

What you guys wrote here are all correct. The confirmed death exceeded 1700 by now and they say it is certain that it will be more than 10 thousands. some cities are reported that they are continuously burning. A few hundred dead bodies were found in some places.

Last night I learned the evaculation zone was further enlarged to 20km from the troubled power plant. As I have nothing to do without internet, I went to bed earlier around 8:30 and was listening to radio news.
They were anouncing the new area that are subject to evacuation.
To my big surpirse they announced my address. Almost the same time, a wired speaker around 100m away from my home says with quite a small volume that "all the resident in this region are supposed to evacuate immediately to the pre-instructed place at latest by 8:45 pm." Only 15 min. left.

I was really surprised to hear that because I'm sure we are 30km away from the atomic power plants.
Being a non-registered resident in Fukushima, maybe some important information did not reach me.

I decided to stay at home last night, although I was not sure if it was a rational decision.

*****

This morning (Sunday moring), I went to my neibour's home, about 400m away. Nobody was there. The owner unleashed his three dogs. Not very friendly ones, as they are watch dogs against wild pigs, but it's ok. They are slowly learning that I'm not a wild pig. (They are always unleashed in the night.)

Then I visited my 82-year-old friend home, another 400M away, nobody was there either. He forgot to unleash his two dogs. The mother dog knows me very well and friendly. They looked hungry. I know where the owner keeps dog foods. Just inside of the entrance and I also anticipated the door was not locked (not unusual here). I a litte hesitated to go inside. Now I'm wondering whether my decision to observe the commonsense and the law was a right one. I did not enter inside and so did not feed them.

******

It seems I'm the only one who did not evacuate in this neigourhood. The aftershocks are "visiting" me even now. The mountais and trees are growling. I'm not sure if or not my decision to stay here is a right one.
Now I'm murmuring a song "World is Mine" sung by a vocaloid (= vocal + android).

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXO7KGHtjI&feature=related"]CV01 Hatsune Miku - World is Mine Live in Tokyo, Japan - 1080p Full HD - YouTube[/ame]

******
sorry for the long writing. Let me allow to continue a bit more separately.
Maybe I should have explained at the beginning that I'm having a simple and single life in this rural mountainous farming area.

yoshi

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

sorry for the long writing. Let me allow to continue a bit more separately.
Maybe I should have explained at the beginning that I'm having a simple and single life in this rural mountainous farming area.

yoshi

Yoshi,

Maybe you could try to blast your car horn loudly and try to attract the attention of anyone else who is still in the area. There may be someone else still there who can let you know where to find the pre-instructed place.

If that doesn't help, you may be able to find that information inside your neighbour's house.

Good luck. If there's ANYTHING you think we might be able to do to help you PLEASE let know.

Pol

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Now six of the seven reactors of the two atomic power plants have more or less problems. Two of them seem to be serious, #1 and #3 of the plant number one which is the closest one to my place.

I had some little thing to do in a tiny village in the south east direction. At 8km point from my home, there were some people there. (See the attaced pic. - a still from a movie taken by drive recorder- so quality is terrible)

If I drove straight (to the east), that leads me direct to the power plants. It should be therefore about 20km from that point. The people shut all the traffic to that direction.

On the way there are three Gas/petrol Stations but all of them were closed.
The tiny village was full of cars and people. From the number plates, I could easily realise they were from the region where the power plants locate.
They are supposed to stay at municipal offices and public buildings and an elementary school.

Ironically this tiny village is now another area subject to evacuation.
Another irony is that my city announced on Saturday afternoon that they were ready for accepting 6000 persons and half of them were already occupied.
On that eveining my part of the city is also added to the areas subject to evaculation. - as I told you earlier.

Some people seem to have got small amount of radiation.
I'm surprised again when the news said "Use a mask or a wet tower to protect you. Do not expose your skin. Wash away the clothes if you were happen to be close to the plants." Do such premitive methods work, I just wonder. --- I have less hair to protect my head. - they just never know.

If I got radiation, I will be a mutant by the time I see you next time, Ian. Hopefully one with better skill of photography.

yoshi

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Fortunately I think I have sufficient food. I could add some more on Sunday.
As long as I can get power supply, there won't be big problems for staying here.

The highways are mostly closed due to damages and/or for safety inspection purposes and ordinary roads are just congested. They give priorities to emergency cars including those traffics that carry food and other necessities to the coastal areas. And I just need petrols in order to leave here which I'm not optimisitic at the moment.

The people along side the coast area badly need all sorts of things. Hope they do not feel hungry and cold for the time being.

yoshi

[yoshi]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Yoshi,

Maybe you could try to blast your car horn loudly and try to attract the attention of anyone else who is still in the area. There may be someone else still there who can let you know where to find the pre-instructed place.

If that doesn't help, you may be able to find that information inside your neighbour's house.

Good luck. If there's ANYTHING you think we might be able to do to help you PLEASE let know.

Pol

Thank you very much for your usual warm advices, Pol.
I do not know why but I'm now "hiding ". A helicopter was flying early this morning over my home, when I was out. I soon entered into my home so that they do not find me and "arrest me" or "force me to evacuate".

Radio news says peple evacuated are now starting to complain for not being comfortable. They first thought the evacuation must be, say two- day long or so. Now no idea how long it is. I want to keep my freedom.

This part of this prefecture has not been badly damaged by the quake. I did not see any collapesed houses or burning houses alongside the streets that I drove in the past two days. Everything is in good order, except for the damn power plants accidents.

I learned from the news that they determined to virtually kill #1 reactor by pouring tons of seawater for secure cooling and ready to do the same for the #3 when other means do not work properly.

But apparently you have more information about our situation than I do, so please let me know, if you think I'm too much optimistic due to lack of important information. I learned a lot from the link to BBC you posted yesterday. That was for me the first footage info.

yoshi

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

I'm so pleased and relieved that you can find people who are not too far away. I was worried you might be too isolated and alone but I'm relieved to know there are others, even if they're 8km away.

I do think you should try to let someone know exactly where you are and that you're alone. Maybe those people at the road block.

I'd also feel more relaxed about you if you could let Ian have full details of your exact location and phone details. Send Ian a PM next time you log in here just to ease my mind.

Take great care of any resources you have available to you. We care about you, we're thinking of you all the time.

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

No, I don't think you've missed any more important information. What you're saying in your posts is virtually the same as we're getting in the news feeds. That BBC link is live and updating round the clock so keep looking in there as and when you can manage. They now have BBC news reporters in situ and reporting from some of the worst affected areas

I've been following other new links too on an aggregator and there's nothing in any of them that says anything different to the BBC.

There's a lot of reassurances that although the radioactivity is serious and risky, it's not as bad as the likes of Long Island or Chernobyl. they're working very hard to bring your power plants under control .. and they seem doing ok with it.

Stay safe and keep looking at the BBC live link.

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Yoshi,

Here are two links for a leading UK news aggregator. It collates news from around the world so you'll be able to read reports from all countries. It updates approximately every 5 minutes 24/7

It will show you reports and comments from around the world.

Eathquake news for Japan is at

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Hot+Topics/Japan+Earthquake

Nuclear crisis news is at

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Hot+Topics/Japan+Earthquake/Nuclear+Crisis

Pol

[Brian Jackson]

Re: Japan quake disaster

Yoshi, hard to believe that we were just discussing the merits of an image the other day, and now this.

In any case, all of us are frustrated that we can't do more for you, save trying to keep your spirits up. You are alive, and all the rest does not matter. Do the next right thing, whatever that may be and you'll do well. Our thoughts are with you.

[devilgas]

Re: Japan quake disaster

really good to hear from you yoshi.

re wet towels etc. i believe it helps to trap any large particles that may be covered in radioactive contaminants (dust, debris etc). it certainly reduces what gets inhaled.

not sure what help i/we can offer, but if there's anything, just say the word pal.

thoughts are with you.