Residents of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture watch in shock
as their homes and livelihoods are washed away.
Akita Sakigake Shimpo,Japan
After the Great
Earthquake, Let Us All Do Our Utmost to Help!
"We
would like to extend our very sincere prayers to those who were killed. The authorities
and relief organizations are anxious to rescue those stranded in the affected
areas and search for those who remain unaccounted for. Countries like the
United States, South Korea and New Zealand have extended a helping hand of aid
and support to Japan."
On March 11, an
unprecedented earthquake off the Tōhoku coast struck
eastern Japan. Measuring a magnitude of 8.8 on the Richter scale [revised up
to 9.0], the earthquake is the largest in our nation's recorded history. The
strength of the earthquake intensified as shock after shock continued to roil
the ground, its length and intensity equally unimaginable in force.
But the real horror
came after the first temblor and its aftershocks, when a 10-meter [30-foot] tsunami barreled over the
Pacific coast. In one fell swoop, the tsunami swallowed up entire towns and villages
along the coast, causing rivers to back up and pour into residential areas, and causing
the loss of human life to skyrocket.
We would like
to extend our very sincere prayers to those who were killed. The authorities
and relief organizations are anxious to rescue those stranded in the affected
areas and search for those who remain unaccounted for. For those who are now overwhelmed
with anxiety, we want to give all of our strength to ease their suffering.
The earthquake
occurred at around 2:46pm. The epicenter was located off the coast of the Oshika Penninsula in Miyagi Prefecture. In
the city of Kurihara in the
northern part of the Miyagi Prefecture, the quake was reported to have been Shindo
7, while other cities within our
local prefecture like Akita and Daisen, reported shindo 5.
[Editor's Note: Shindo is the
Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale. 1 is the lowest and 7 the
highest].
As the hours
tick by, the seriousness of the damage is becoming understood. In Wakabayashi
ward in Sendai, between 200 and
300 bodies have been found, and upwards of 80 percent of Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture
remains submerged. Much like Onakawa in Migyaki Prefecture, the entire town has
been devastated. According to the government’s Disaster
Management Office, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives as a result of
the tsunami.
[Editor's Note: According to
the latest information, there are 16,600 people missing or dead since what is
now being called the 2011
Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami].
The devastating
power of the tsunami is clear to see in the affected areas, from submerged
towns and villages to destroyed homes and buildings. We are once again reminded
how helpless humanity is in the face such mighty natural disasters. Furthermore,
due to the impact of the earthquake, there may have been a meltdown at TEPKO's
[Tokyo
Electric Power Company's] No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima, with
citizens within a 20 kilometer radius [12 miles] being told to evacuate, [and
between 10 and 30 kilometers, people are being told to stay indoors.]
While here in our
prefecture, there have been reports of structural damage, a building collapse
and people being injured as a result of the quake, the most damaging impact on
people's livelihoods is a lack of electricity and water. Power outages have
continued since the earthquake and its aftershocks, and to make matters worse,
some areas still have no water. The expectation is that many people will go
without electricity and heating for at
least 24 hours more. And since we're in the month of March, there is still a winter
chill in the air. Living with the dual threat of darkness and cold, while the fear
of aftershocks remains, would be difficult for anyone to face.
Mobile phone
calls have also been very hard to make. While friends and relatives in areas hard
hit by the disaster have been moved to shelters, it's easy to imagine the
frustration of being unable to confirm their well-being. The disruption of
communications on this scale after a disaster only serves to accentuate the
feeling of helplessness. In this age of information, maintaining a stable line
of communication is of the utmost importance.
Until March 12,
aftershocks triggered by the initial quake are likely to continue - and there
is even a possibility that one of these will trigger another tsunami. Right
now, it is of great importance to remain calm, particularly so we remain alert to
another potential tsunami. Should there be aftershocks near the coast, you will
want to leave the area and seek shelter on higher ground. You will also want
take extra precautions against mudslides and avalanches.
In this
situation, it is essential that residents help one another. Elderly households are
crying out for assistance, and need help to relieve the anxiety brought on by
the quake. Countries like the United States, South Korea and even New Zealand,
which recently met with a disaster of its own, have extended a helping hand of aid
and support to Japan. This aid and mutual support in the areas most impacted by
the disaster is the greatest hope of rebuilding.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
Snow falls on the rubble, as rescue workers in
tsunami-hit
Damage here in Akita
Prefecture pales in significance compared to Iwate and Miyagi. As we hurry to
pick ourselves up, we would like to extend a helping hand to our companions
living in the northeast to rebuild. In their hour of greatest need, we offer
all possible emotional support and material help, like food, water and other
supplies, and eventually, with reconstruction. There's a lot we can do. It is
our duty to provide a beacon of hope to
our neighbors in the disaster-stricken areas.
