Friday, March 11, 2011

Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

There was a big earthquake up in Touhoku today. Looks like a bad one. We couldn't even feel it down here in Fukuoka, so we are safe. Just glad that we live on a hilltop, our apartment is only a few hundred metres from the coast if a tsunami ever does hit.

Anyway, you know it is a bad earthquake if the newscaster has to wear a helmet while reporting it from the studio!

Edited to add:

I've noticed in the past couple hours that people overseas seem to be visiting this post looking for info about the quake in Fukuoka and Kyushu.

So here is what I know. There has been no damage in Fukuoka prefecture. NHK reported a tsunami warning (their lowest level one) for the Seto inland sea side of the prefecture near Kitakyushu, as well as Oita and Miyazaki prefectures. Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Kumamoto and most other areas of Kyushu also have warnings, though the quake didn't do any damage and couldn't even be felt way down here.

So if you've got friends or family in Kyushu, they are probably OK.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the information Sean. We have been trying to get in touch with our family in Fukuoka.
Masako S.

Sean said...

Hi Masako,

Thanks for the comment, I'm glad to say that your family is probably safe. Fukuoka wasn't damaged by the quake.

Best, Sean

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Sean, for your blog post - we have friends in Fukuoka and we are very glad to know that they are safe.

Shammi
Vancouver, Canada

Sean said...

Hi Shammi,

Thanks for the comment, I'm glad that your friends are in Fukuoka where it is safe!

Lei said...

Thank you for the information, Sean. I have been scouring the net for all the news I can get about Japan since last Friday. I've been wanting to read about the state of Kyushu and Fukuoka and, thankfully, I came across your blog.

I'm planning to study in Kyushu University this coming October (LL.M Program) so I'm mighty worried. Still hopeful about my plans though. My plans haven't changed a bit about going there.

I sincerely believe in the resilience of the Japanese. They will recover and rebuild. If one country can do it, they surely can.

Sean said...

Hi Lei,

Thanks for the comment. Fukuoka has been spared from any damage in the earthquake and tsunami.

It should be perfectly safe for you to come here in October for the LLM, which is a great program!

Unknown said...

This is the first information I could find about Fukuoka since I know people in Kurume who had been my host family in 2006....This helps me so much! Thank you

Sean said...

Ichibannohyde - thanks for the comment, I'm glad the post could be of use to you. Your host family should be safe as Kurume wasn't damaged in the earthquake!