This is an eye-witness account from the New York Times Japan Tsunami Highlights:
"I was on the 9th (top) floor of recently built, thin (30' square) and very flexible apartment building in Sumida, Tokyo. Living here has been a little unsettling as even small vibrations -- a large truck passing by, for example -- tend to set the structure quivering. Now I appreciate its amazing engineering. It flexed and bounced like an airliner in turbulence.
The shaking went on for so long that I had ample time to get up, put my shoes on and go out onto the emergency stairs. The neighborhood -- largely 3-15 story buildings -- looked like a set of children's blocks teetering on a shaken table. It looked more dreamlike than scary. Each building is topped with a lightning rod; they became metronomes swaying in competing directions. Old women moved to the middle of the street and stood motionless, looking at each other. After what must have been 2 or 3 minutes, the neighborhood public address system came online with a cheerful, slightly inappropriate recorded message: "This is Sumida City. Just now, a large earthquake happened. Please be careful."
It was only when I turned on the television and saw live footage of a tsunami closing in on cars driving down the road that I understood the severity of what happened.
Three hours later, things continue to rock every few minutes."
My prayers are with the people of Japan and all those who are affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami.
"I was on the 9th (top) floor of recently built, thin (30' square) and very flexible apartment building in Sumida, Tokyo. Living here has been a little unsettling as even small vibrations -- a large truck passing by, for example -- tend to set the structure quivering. Now I appreciate its amazing engineering. It flexed and bounced like an airliner in turbulence.
The shaking went on for so long that I had ample time to get up, put my shoes on and go out onto the emergency stairs. The neighborhood -- largely 3-15 story buildings -- looked like a set of children's blocks teetering on a shaken table. It looked more dreamlike than scary. Each building is topped with a lightning rod; they became metronomes swaying in competing directions. Old women moved to the middle of the street and stood motionless, looking at each other. After what must have been 2 or 3 minutes, the neighborhood public address system came online with a cheerful, slightly inappropriate recorded message: "This is Sumida City. Just now, a large earthquake happened. Please be careful."
It was only when I turned on the television and saw live footage of a tsunami closing in on cars driving down the road that I understood the severity of what happened.
Three hours later, things continue to rock every few minutes."
Andrew, Tokyo
March 11th, 2011
4:30 am
My prayers are with the people of Japan and all those who are affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami.
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