From 8.8 to 9.0
This morning, it was reported that our earthquake had been upgraded to 9.0 from 8.8. The number of aftershocks occurring after this quake that measured above M5.0 had been the most frequent ever since 1923.
Based on the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), there is a high possibility of another aftershock that will hit Japan with a magnitude of 7.0 or above. The possibility of a M7 earthquake happening from 13-16th Mar is 70%, 16-19th March is 50%. My personal take is that this is like predicting whether it will rain next week or not, may not be 100% accurate but it's better to be prepared than caught unprepared.
Earthquakes with the same magnitude since 1900 are as follow:
1960: Chili (M9.5)
1964: Alaska (M9.2)
2004: Sumatra (M9.1)
1952: Kamchatka (M9.0) = 2011: Japan (M9.0)
Ref (Japanese):
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0313/TKY201103130145.html
Situation in Tokyo
Train service had mostly resumed but a lot of us are staying at home just in case and tuning into the news. There had been announcement every morning from Tokyo Electricity to advise us to use electricity wisely. The big earthquake had caused many of its power plant to shut down so if electricity consumption cannot be controlled, there would be planned power outages at certain times. I'd stopped using my heater and using only one light source at night to conserve electricity.
11pm update: TEPCO has announced rotational power outages. Tokyo 23 wards is spared for now, which includes my Shinjuku. However it is also mentioned that these are subjected to changes and the plan may carry throughout April.
Emergency Bag
I went to the supermarket yesterday to pack some food and most of the bread were gone. Big and cheap bottled water were sold out, leaving the small bottled ones. I'd also prepared my emergency "handbag" just in case another big one comes. The contents are:
- Bottled water
- Biscuits
- Chocolate
- Passport, ID
- Money, bank stuff, etc.
- Mask (in case of debris, radioactive... ...)
- Handphone (not sure about the charger, hmm)
Circulation of Prank mail
There had been circulation of prank messages via twitter, facebook, mobile phone and emails that sounds like this:
千葉、首都圏の方々へ
千葉の製油所、製鉄所の火災の影響で千葉、首都圏では、
科学薬品の含まれた雨が降ることが予想されます。
傘やレインコートを使用し雨に当たらないようにしてください。
This is about an explosion that had happened to a Chiba chemical factory on Friday, so there was a lot of worry whether or not its toxic chemicals will contaminate the air and cause acid rain. It advises people to wear raincoat and carry an umbrella to cover the body since it might rain tomorrow. The fact is that there had been no chemical leakage at the factory. But of course, if there's rain, shelter your body and don't get sick. The more worrying thing is below:
Nuclear Radiation Concern
Although Tokyo is far from the 3 nuclear power plants (2 in Fukushima, 1 in Miyagi) that are having problems to cool down their nuclear reactors, we might still be exposed to radiation through contaminated air or intake of contaminated food should the facilities suffer a meltdown. My advise is be vigilant, stay tuned to latest news, and be prepared.
Here are some advises by an expert just in case the Fukushima containers do meltdown and release radioactive particles into the environment. Translated from Japanese blog:
http://kenzo.enjyuku-blog.com/archives/2011_03_post_556.html
1) Refrain from going out.
If you must, wear a raincoat and 2 layers of mask. After returning home, throw away both the raincoat and masks so as not to introduce any radioactive particles back home. Shower immediately.
2) Stop air circulation with outside air.
Just in case, you might also wear a mask indoor.
3) Wash all food.
If possible, consume food that has been packaged before the accident, for example: canned food, frozen food, cup noodles and bottled drinks. If vegetables are available, wash well with clean water. Drink lots of water to purge any radioactive material from body.
4) Stay away from windows, be as inside the house as possible.
Steel and concrete structure is able to block a certain amount of exterior radiation, but light materials such as glass or wood is completely useless If possible, stay inside the part of your house where sunlight cannot reach.
I think #4 is hard for me because my dorm room is just 9 sqm. Luckily we're far from the nuclear plants so exterior radiation is minimal. Hopefully the nuclear plant problems will be resolved asap. There has been significantly less aftershocks today, but never know about tonight and tomorrow. For now, life goes on as usual in Tokyo.
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