Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Shaken, not stirred
This update will serve as a lead in to an update that I'll do in a couple days. But for now...
The other day, Sunday March 20, a strong earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale rocked the Kyushu area where I live at 10:53AM. Apparently this earthquake was the largest to hit Kyushu in some 110 years. It was caused by a previously unknows underwater fault extending into Hakata Bay and the Sea of Japan.
I was on my way to Fukuoka when the earthquake struck, though I didn't feel anything. They announced that the expressway would be closed, so I wondered how we'd get to Fukuoka but actually we could keep driving till our destination. But the Urban expressway was closed, and all train, shinkansen and subway service was stopped. You can imagine the gridlock of Fukuoka that day...
The day turned into a damage tour for us; we eventually saw piles of bricks and other rubble that had come off walls and buildings, ruptured water pipes, and huge cracks in streets and sidewalks. Our ears were filled with the constant drone of helicopters overhead and non-stop emergency vehicle sirens.
What a day I tell you. Some of my other friends have had other earthquake experiences in Japan or Taiwan, but this was my first significant one. Craziness. Next up is typhoon season...what kind of dangerous country am I living in?
The other day, Sunday March 20, a strong earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale rocked the Kyushu area where I live at 10:53AM. Apparently this earthquake was the largest to hit Kyushu in some 110 years. It was caused by a previously unknows underwater fault extending into Hakata Bay and the Sea of Japan.
I was on my way to Fukuoka when the earthquake struck, though I didn't feel anything. They announced that the expressway would be closed, so I wondered how we'd get to Fukuoka but actually we could keep driving till our destination. But the Urban expressway was closed, and all train, shinkansen and subway service was stopped. You can imagine the gridlock of Fukuoka that day...
The day turned into a damage tour for us; we eventually saw piles of bricks and other rubble that had come off walls and buildings, ruptured water pipes, and huge cracks in streets and sidewalks. Our ears were filled with the constant drone of helicopters overhead and non-stop emergency vehicle sirens.
What a day I tell you. Some of my other friends have had other earthquake experiences in Japan or Taiwan, but this was my first significant one. Craziness. Next up is typhoon season...what kind of dangerous country am I living in?
