Reply With Quoteyeah,it's all over the news and Google put on a tsunami alert for some places...Good to hear,everything's ok
8.8 Earthquake off Miyagi Prefecture
We just had a pretty darn big earthquake here in Japan today. It was initially reported to be a 7.9 but later was adjusted to a 8.8 quake. The epicenter was a bit off the shore of Miyagi Prefecture, which is a ways northeast of Tokyo. The initial quake struck around 2:46pm but I didn't feel anything in Nagoya until about 3pm.
I was in the middle of teaching my kindergarten class when the PA system came on. Sometimes they come on to mention something about the students, etc., so I normally don't pay much attention to it. But they kept talking, so I started listening to it and realized that they were warning us that an earthquake was coming, to get all students under the tables. We stopped our song and got all the kids under the table. Then a few seconds later, the quake started and really shook the building (we were on the 2nd floor). The shaking was substantial but not enough to send objects toppling. The thing that got me was how long it lasted. It was definitely the longest earthquake I've experienced yet.
Once the quake was over, they got on the PA system again to check in with other teachers around the building, checking for damage and making sure everyone was okay--there was no damage and everyone was fine. My students were all about 4-5 years old, but they were all fine and dealt with it great.
After the quake we got another warning that there may be some aftershocks, which we did maybe 5 minutes later, but I didn't feel it at all. My pair teacher said she felt it and guessed it was maybe a "shindo" 1 earthquake, very weak.
It's interesting because the strength of quakes are measured differently here in Japan, using this "shindo" system to get a brief idea how strong the quake is. For example, the main quake was a strong shindo 7 (they can be categorized as weak or strong depending on how close they are to the next strength level), but they'll also have a corresponding magnitude, which is usually higher than the shindo. The initial magnitude for this quake was 7.9 with a shindo of strong 7, but the magnitude was later changed to 8.8. Why this is, I'm not sure. Don't really know the specifics of it
Also, I have several friends who life in the Tokyo area, my German "brother" lives on the 28th floor of a large condo near Shibuya, and he said it shook pretty good.
Anyway, all's good here in Nagoya. We're far enough away from the main area not to feel any more aftershocks. I only felt the main one, so we're good down here for now. There are MANY tsunami warnings, though, so I'm a little worried about my other friends who live pretty close to the shore. =P
Well, I may be the only one on the board in Japan right now... so maybe it's silly to talk about it.I'll keep the situation up to date for those who are interested.
yeah,it's all over the news and Google put on a tsunami alert for some places...Good to hear,everything's ok
Last edited by fringe dork; 03-11-2011 at 09:04 AM.
Glad you're ok! It's really terrible, they say it's the most powerful earthquake in Japan in years. I saw a video of the tsunami and it's awful how much damage it has caused. Hopefully, there won't be any strong aftershocks or tsunamies and your friends are all ok.
Yeah, thanks. I've been watching the news ever since I came home and it's pretty scary up closer to the epicenter. There are many fires, floods and mudslides. Really crazy.
Here's a link to the details on the first main quake, of course, in Japanese.
http://typhoon.yahoo.co.jp/weather/j...-11-14-46.html
Nice to hear from you Rekka. Glad you are ok.
Right? I didn't realize how bad this quake was until I came home and turned on the TV. It's crazy! Just to see all the FIRE stretching forever...Originally Posted by Ellie_B
There hasn't been any bad aftershocks or tsunamis around my area, so we're okay. I'm still trying to get in contact with a friend of mine up in Fukushima. I kinda lost contact with him, so I don't know if he'll get my messages to even respond...
Yes, I'm okay!! Thanks for thinking of me! *hugs*
I'm glad you're all right, Rekka.
AWWWW sweetie I'm sooooo glad you're okay! I saw it on the news and my first thought was ZOMG REKKA..........
Tjeeez... Indescribable what happened....
*I'm still overwhelmed....*
Hi Rekka
When I heard the news this morning I did think of you glad that you are fine.
Anyone trying to get in contact with friends or relatives in Japan should try this google link.
http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en
I've heard that this earthquake will affect the whole planet,even the rotation of the earth!
I hate earthquakes,I hope everything will get better soon there
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