bad earthquake in Japan
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
This morning I received a warning of a terrible earthquake in Japan, as follows:
Dear Canadian citizen,
As you may have heard on the news already, a powerful 8.9 magnitude earthquake with a depth of 24.4 km, struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on 11 March 2011 at 14:46 local time (00:46 Ottawa time). The US Geological Survey indicated that the quake was centered 130 km east of Sendai, 178 km east of Yamagata, 178 km east-northeast of Fukushima, and 373 km northeast of TOKYO, Japan. A series of significant aftershocks, ranging in size from 5.8 to 7.1 magnitude, have struck the same area over the past few hours.
2. A tsunami warning and watch has been issued for coastal Japan. It is expected that these warnings and watches could take as much as 6-12 hours before they are lifted or possible impacts are known.
3. According to media, the earthquake is reported to have caused violent shaking and triggered at least a 10 metre tsunami which impacted parts of coast Japan near the epicentre, flooding farmland, possibly sweeping away some homes, crops, vehicles, and triggering fires. Media also reports that several people were buried in a landslide, at least one person has been killed, power was cut to four million homes in and around Tokyo, many sections of Tohoku expressway serving northern Japan have been damaged, and bullet trains to the north of the country have stopped operating. In addition, Tokyo's Narita airport is closed, flights halted, and passengers have been evacuated. The Tokyo underground has also halted its suburban trains. Media have also reported that eight military planes have been dispatched to the area to survey the damage. Prime Minister Naoto Kan has ordered the military to do all that is required to act quickly and effectively to respond to the earthquake. The
Japanese Government's Cabinet is expected to meet shortly.
Please take precautionary measures by avoiding low-lying areas, shorelines of rivers and coastal regions for the next 24 to 48 hours. Also, please be certain to follow any safety instructions issued by your local municipalities in the various regions of Japan.
For additional information please refer to the Japan Meteorological Agency website.
As this earthquake is receiving media coverage by international media outlets, you might consider contacting your family and friends back in Canada to advise them of your safety status. It is possible that the telephone network is now congested due to an increase in the volume of calls, and that people should keep trying until they can get through.
Stay safe,
Consular Section
Embassy of Canada, Tokyo, Japan.