Tsunami reflections and unusual info

This is so true in EVERY aspect of Japanese life. I can't say I blame many for ignoring the warnings though. Japanese TV always dramatize any slight deviation in the weather or something that's not quite normal. The locals probably though the Tsunami warning was just another dramatized news bulletin. You know, like the boy who cried wolf.

Yakumo

 

I can understand that, but hey the had resp. felt an M9 (shindo sebun, highest on scala).
I was in Shinyokohama at that time and only felt a shindo 5weak, but almost the station came down on my head.
Now imagine I would expierence a 7, and life at the waters, I would run like hell.

 

Yeah, I can't understand how they forgot how to run. Old people, sure, they can't move fast but others?? Shit, it's natural instinct to get the fuck out of the way as fast as possible.

 

i think the problem with Japanese is there sense of pride bumps up there ego. i also think many people thought despite the Tsunami warning they would be fine because of the flood defence walls as it was something they had made.

 

Let's be fair, it's not just Japanese people. Here in the USA, you'll see at least a few people on the news before every hurricane who refuse to evacuate. Some older gentleman on his porch who tells the reporter he'd rather die than evacuate. Depending on where this is, he's often holding a shotgun and goes on to say he'll kill you if you try to MAKE him evacuate.

As for people forgetting how to run, that's unlikely. More likely is that odd matter of perspective: pull onto a railroad track and look straight down the track... how fast is that train coming? Do you have time to pull away? Most people have trouble gaging how fast something is moving, and how far away it is. The wave of a tsunami is probably like that... they can't tell how far it is until it's nearly on them, and they can't tell how fast it's going, period.

Besides, it's only water. A little wave can't do anything, right? Probably, the vast majority of people have never seen a tsunami or flood, and haven't the slightest idea of the danger they are in. A little water never hurt anyone... as long as it's not more than waist high, you won't even need to swim, right? It's not until they see the jumble of cars and houses and telephone poles and other wreckage bearing down that they realize they are about to die, and then it's too late.

 

I will reserve any opinions since I wasn't there. Saying they simply ignored the warning or waited too long is probably not very consistent amongst the majority. What I have heard from people that weren't there, but have actually gone up there (several times in some cases) to help w/ cleanup/organize media, is that many people did what they were supposed to do: go up to the 2nd or 3rd floor. That of course doesn't mean shit when the whole building you're in goes down.

These older towns definitely have their age demographic skewed upwards. It will be interesting to see the numbers as they come out, but I will guess a large chunk will be elderly that simply could not fend for themselves.

This is a bit silly... or at least not unique to the Japanese. Even our own Yakumo by his own admittance is having running issues. Haha.

There is disaster insurance, but it gets sticky the larger it gets. The country as well, of course, reimburses to an extent (not to mention charity). There is probably a "size" clause in just about any insurance policy. I have an extensive life insurance policy to take care of my family in case I happen to die. However, there's a clause that states if X people die (2000 or so?) in a calamity, then they have the option to bail out. However, it's an option. The company paid all their beneficiaries in the Hanshin quake.

Some villages are indeed lost forever. The sad truth is, the tsunami just hurried up the inevitable by a couple of decades. This is nothing new to Japan, and until March 11th was their most important epidemic.

As for fear of lower ground... well, that's obvous. But it's not like this is shocking. Tsunami's happen. There are gigantic walls on the outskirts of Japanese coasts for a reason. People know that when they live there. But, these are bay towns. People will need those jobs. Some people will live by the ocean. There was talk about nobody wanting to be on high floors of buildings after 9/11, but it's still more expensive the higher you go.

 

Yeah, but that's because I'm now a fat fuck :redface: My legs aren't ready for such punishment. Not giving up though. I will get down to 80kg from the 100 I am now.

 

Wow, from 100 down to 80? That's a hard hill..er.. mountain to climb

 

"This is a bit silly... or at least not unique to the Japanese. Even our own Yakumo by his own admittance is having running issues. Haha."

Were they tired running?
I know I get tired when I sprint - maintaining a sprint with a fudging tital wave behind you is difficult and more often than not impossible to out run.

A lot of the evacuation points were actually swept away apparently too...so a lot of people could have done the right thing (as per instructed) but to no avail

 

I agree with GP, and I would just like to add that this was the largest quake and tsunami received in Japan since records began.

I don't think the populations of most Western cities would be able to run away either, not that it matters when the sea is coming in at 100 mph in a valley...

 

"Japan's government had ordered Tepco to come up with a timetable to end the crisis, now rated on a par with the world's worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
But the BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says it is still not certain that the nine-month deadline can be achieved.
He says the immediate priority for Tepco is to stop radioactive water leaking into the Pacific Ocean.
The utility said it was sending remote-controlled robots into one of the reactors on Sunday to gauge radiation and temperature levels.
UK defence contractor QinetiQ said it had provided the machines, which are controlled using a standard games console.
The robots can carry out tasks such as rubble clearance, demolition and radiation testing.
Japan is a world leader in such technology, but its robots are not adapted for dirty work such as meltdowns at nuclear plants, experts say."




about time they had some robots in there!
I believe we were discussing this a while back

 

Always makes me laugh when they say that.

 

Best of luck there. I'm 80-85kg and I feel like a fat **** who needs to be 75-80kg. :thumbsup:

 

I realized something the other day about that story: it is told from the perspective of the people of the village that didn't get eaten by the wolf.

What if every time the boy cried out that there was a wolf; the yelling combined with the village people coming with pitchforks scares him off. By the time the towns people decide the kid is full of crap the wolf wisens up, notices that nobody is coming and goes to town on the kid.

Being the people who survived don't want to look like total assholes who let a kid get mauled to death by a wolf they won't say "we didn't believe him" they will say "the kid was full of it" to allieviate guilt and place the blame elsewhere - like typical human beings.

Realistically the tale isn't about lying because you're bored but more how much human nature relates to being lazy. Wanna bet they had someone guard those sheep afterwards by someone perhaps a bit older than a 10 year old armed with a slingshot?

On topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZR0Rq1Rfw

The last 30-50 seconds or so made me facepalm.

 

Fuck! That's the most intense one I've seen.

 

There was a guy dressed in black who ran back and helped save that person but he seemed to get washed away!
So sad - that guy is a hero!


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13050228

 

That poor man. He is indeed a hero. I hope he survived but looking at that video it doesn't seem so.

 

With all the debris in the water, I doubt ANYTHING or ANYONE caught in the water survived. It really shows how powerful a flood can be.

 

Yeah, it's humbling to say the least. You know, I think if you're a lucky sucker that thought to get on the roof you'd have a fighting chance, but still odds stacked against you. Looks like most roofs eventually buckled.

As sad as it is, these things generally make the world a safer place in the long run. The masses are educated, buildings built better, general awareness of mother nature rises.

I need to get my freaking Earthquake bag ready. Never thought of this before, but something of mine that's only somewhat easy to grab now is my passport. In the days right after the quake I kept it in my backpack right by the door.