Thinking of Japan
The pictures from Japan are so horrifying, they boggle the mind. I mean, when it was Haiti a few years ago, the pictures were unimaginable and tragic, but Haiti is such a poor, destitute country, that somehow it gave me a false impression of security. But Japan, Japan is a wealthy industrialized country, one where large earthquakes are expected and planned for. But an 8.9…that’s impossible to plan for. By comparison, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was 6.9, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was 7.9. (To read more about the Richter magnitude scale, and learn the difference between a 6.9, a 7.9, and an 8.9, click here) And of course, a tsunami of that size is so devastating, it clearly cannot be planned for, and did far more damage than the earthquake. And now there’s the very real danger of a nuclear reactor melt down.
Honestly, I don’t know what to say about all of this. It’s horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of people directly affected by this disaster. And on a more selfish note, I think it’s time to get serious about an emergency plan around here.
4 Comments
Rain
Yes, it could an actually will happen here also. I don’t know if we can be prepared but I agree that it is horrifying especially when it’s a country so many of us have ties to and love so much.
Nance
The scariest one for me is the explosion at the nuclear facility. That initial flare, so reminiscent of the first shockwave of a mushroom cloud, is heartstopping.
Dad Who Writes
Everytime I check the rolling news blogs on the Guardian, it’s got worse. We’ve travelled in Japan, have a of Japanese friend…It’s literally beyond my capacity to imagine having this happen.
ally bean
I’m horrified and mesmerized by all the video footage coming out of Japan. Such destruction. I don’t know how I’d start over again.
And like you, this made me think that we need an emergency plan.