Friday, March 11, 2011

8.9 Earthquake and Tsunami

This is yet unconfirmed, but all the water you see remaining in the wake of the tsunami in northeastern Japan....the lake hasn't receded because the elevation of the land along the coast has sunk below sea level and water has already seek it's own level. It's bad enough to have no warning that a tsunami is a minute away, but imagine if the land itself sinks, the height of the tsunami surge would increase in direct proportion. That part of the coastline would remain permanently submerged. But Japan is a resilient nation, for example, after the Kobe earthquake, and you don't get a sense of despair that as bad as the situation is, to the same degree had a 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami impacted a less modernized nation. Easy for me to say, from here, of course. And that's in regard to the long term situation not the immediate days. But there's absolutely no looting taking place. That type of mentality. The 17th annual Honolulu Festival kicks off tonight which has a couple thousand Japanese visitors and performers who have flown in for the event, and undoubtedly a large portion of the Japanese contingent would have flown home if the Japan airports were open. Kinda difficult to celebrate. Remember Kamasami Kong, the Hawaii DJ? Apparently, he moved to Japan, and he was on Piers Morgan Tonight Bill O'Reilly giving a first person account.

2 comments:

Kay said...

I hope looting does not ever become a worry for them with all they have to worry about right now. It's so scary.

RONW said...

Kay- no, I don't believe looting will be a problem as it is almost everywhere in the wake of a natural disaster. Even the news channel hosts noted that. I don't mean "survival looting," especially food since unrefrigerated food will spoil anyways, unless they're reselling the haul. But stealing things like electronic merchandise?! Da lolos.