USGS map as of March 13...all the earthquakes since Wednesday the 9th when we had a 7.2 at 11:45 am local time.
March 12 2011: As you know doubt know by now a monster earthquake rocked Japan on Friday March 13, 2011 2:46pm local time. As with a lot of momentous occasions in life, this is one that SAM will always know our exact place at the time of the earthquake.Andi was at school, just finishing up her safety patrol duties. I was in the parking lot about 75 yards away from the school waiting for her.
The shake and the rumble of the ground was just incredible. Since I was in an open area, I got out of my car (it was bouncing just a wee bit too much for me) and went over to a group of 6th graders who had gathered to shoot the breeze. Made sure they were all right and safe.
After the shaking stopped I went up to the school. Andi came down the sidewalk with another mom and her child. Andi was inside the school at the time, at the top of the stairs (2nd floor) on her way out when it started. She and a classmate ran down the stairs and out the building, waiting outside til it was done. How proud I am of her for keeping her wits about her.
By the time she could see me, her little face crumpled into tears. Back in the car we went. Shane was able to get a call into us about 10 minutes later. He had just pulled into the driveway and found the house still standing. He was at a stoplight on the way home when the quake occurred. Since he was home and the house standing, Andi and I headed for home. Not a bad drive, considering the stoplights were out and major intersections were an exercise in patience. Took us about 30 minutes (usually a 10 minute drive) to get home. Safe and sound. Checked on our neighbors and found them all rattled but well.
Aftershocks have been our story for the weekend. The biggest "inconvenience" was the loss of power. When we learned the magnitude of the earthquake, loss of power was nothing. We had our health, our family unit, and plenty of food and water.
The base opened the commissary, so we were able to stock up on more water.
Andi's biggest complaint was no Scooby Doo shows to watch. But mom reading more than made up for it. We lost ourselves in the world of Narnia with "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe".
Sunday the 13th power was restored to our little corner of Japan. Well, to those of us living out in town. On base...not so much. We'd been hearing the reports of the tsunami wave and the damage it brought. We tried to get down to the local fishery report, but it is closed with guards turning people away before you can even see the water line. Driving up the coast just a little bit to a shrine that I know has a lookout point we came across the coke machine in the field. Hard to say where it came from, as vending machines in odd places in Japan really isn't out of the norm....lying on its side is of course not normal.
Above, some standing water left over. The ocean is about 200 yards to the left, and down a hill side.
Water mark left behind. We are at the shrine that sits atop this hillside by the ocean. That's the ocean out in the distance. (there are pictures of this shrine from way back in July 2009, but I couldn't find any pictures that would help reference this)
Below: a shot climbing back up from the sea wall area back up to the shrine. Trying to give you an idea as to the height from the sea to the look out point.
This used to be a pine forest, with the trees in more of an upright position. The trees have been thinned out a bit, and the ones standing are obviously leaning more than they had before.
That gap there.....yeah, not supposed to be a gap. The sea walls are pretty sturdy things...but now...
We walked down to the sea wall, but not to the big breach area. This is the area behind it. Last time I came here there was a little road, trees on one side and not a big 6 foot deep trench.
A small boat washed up in the trees. There is so much trash everywhere now. Incredible. Though there is always a bit of trash along the coast line, but now there's a lot. Understandable of course.
Another boat washed up on the sea wall.
The rocks that you see there in between the concrete blocks (above picture) those were from the area on the other side of the wall....those are some big rocks.
Above: The slabs are from the gutter system. The hole to the left is where one of the slabs should be. Water surging in the system must've just shot them right up and out.
Sunday the 13th power was restored to our little corner of Japan. Well, to those of us living out in town. On base...not so much. We'd been hearing the reports of the tsunami wave and the damage it brought. We tried to get down to the local fishery report, but it is closed with guards turning people away before you can even see the water line. Driving up the coast just a little bit to a shrine that I know has a lookout point we came across the coke machine in the field. Hard to say where it came from, as vending machines in odd places in Japan really isn't out of the norm....lying on its side is of course not normal.
Above, some standing water left over. The ocean is about 200 yards to the left, and down a hill side.
Water mark left behind. We are at the shrine that sits atop this hillside by the ocean. That's the ocean out in the distance. (there are pictures of this shrine from way back in July 2009, but I couldn't find any pictures that would help reference this)
Below: a shot climbing back up from the sea wall area back up to the shrine. Trying to give you an idea as to the height from the sea to the look out point.
This used to be a pine forest, with the trees in more of an upright position. The trees have been thinned out a bit, and the ones standing are obviously leaning more than they had before.
That gap there.....yeah, not supposed to be a gap. The sea walls are pretty sturdy things...but now...
We walked down to the sea wall, but not to the big breach area. This is the area behind it. Last time I came here there was a little road, trees on one side and not a big 6 foot deep trench.
A small boat washed up in the trees. There is so much trash everywhere now. Incredible. Though there is always a bit of trash along the coast line, but now there's a lot. Understandable of course.
Another boat washed up on the sea wall.
The rocks that you see there in between the concrete blocks (above picture) those were from the area on the other side of the wall....those are some big rocks.
Above: The slabs are from the gutter system. The hole to the left is where one of the slabs should be. Water surging in the system must've just shot them right up and out.Now I know there are plenty of images on the news. It's been hard to find any of Misawa Fishery Port at the moment, but from I understand it is destroyed. As much as I would love to go get pictures, I do want to stay safe and out of the way of recovery efforts. Since the beach is right next to the port, I assume that is in bad shape as well...a shame, it is one of my favorite spots. Plus we do have occasional warnings of more tsunami's depending on the size of the aftershocks. Since those are happening all the time, the ocean is the last place I really want to be.
I pulled some pictures from various news agencies. None of the pictures below are mine....they are all from the internet through AP and other sources.
Above: Hachinohe. One of the many ports. I understand this is also heavily damaged.
Above: Hachinohe. One of the many ports. I understand this is also heavily damaged.Apparently I didn't mark the location of the photos when I pulled them over from the internet (thought I did...) But most are from the Sendai area. (which includes the various little villages and towns around it)
Above: Hachinohe
Above: Hachinohe
I'll update the blog as I can.(a quick email or phone call to the folks home always takes priority) It may not always be with pictures.Since our language is not up to par, we have to rely on the American media to keep us up to date....at times you may know more than we do. Keep in mind we are a couple hundred miles North of Sendai. The power plant may become a bigger issue, but for now, for us here, we are ok.
"Life is not the way it's supposed to be....It's the way it is. The way we cope with it is what makes the difference." I have no idea who that is from, but it's what I keep looking at today.
