What can the rest of us learn from this past day’s disaster in Japan? Watching live footage of the tsunamis devastating the landscape, or fires burning at refineries, you can’t help but wonder if your community would fare any better.
People in many countries along the Pacific Rim have been warned to move to 50 feet above sea level (6 floors in a building) in wake of the threat of tsunami waves hitting their shores. To a greater or lesser extent, coastlines around the globe will all eventually feel the ripple effect of the 8.9 earthquake that originated just off the coast of Japan.
I once saw a television crew set up in the location pictured above, filming a forest fire along the eastern shore that was blazing across the water. Viewed from a safe distance, disasters can be mesmerizing, but experienced up close, they’re a different story altogether. At a recent workshop on climate change held in Eastern Passage, one of the questions residents were asked was what our evacuation strategy would be in the event of a disaster. What roads would we take in order to reach safety?
Once again, watching live footage taken from a helicopter of the disaster in Japan today, it was clear that many vehicles were travelling on roads that were leading towards disaster instead of away from it. From the ground, it’s often difficult to determine the best route to safety. A prepared plan of action would make a big difference in a crisis situation.
Be Prepared… the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.
~ Sir Robert Baden-Powell
Is your household prepared for disaster of any type? If you live along the coast, do you know if your elevation is low enough to require evacuation in case of flooding? If you had to evacuate, what route would you take? Where would you go, and would you have enough gas in your vehicle to get you there? It’s never too early to make plans to seek higher ground.
If you would like to find out the altitude of any point on the planet, an application that makes use of Google Maps can be found at Daft Logic.
For more information on emergency preparedness in Nova Scotia, see Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office.
Flandrum Hill 
Another interesting post, Amy-Lynn. One that brings much concern about all the people in Japan and probably (and sadly) further that will be hit by this devastating tsunami. Will we ever be prepared for such a disaster ? Or for others in different areas, avalanches, flooding over here, for instance. You are wise, it is never too early to make plans, to be prepared. Thank you.
Isa, I don’t know how anyone could prepare for such sadness at the loss of so much.
Apparently there was very little time for officials to get the word out about the disaster in Japan. With so little time to spare, it’s important to not have to have too much to figure out at the last minute. But usually we do have a bit of warning. It always surprises me when people don’t keep abreast of the weather news here during hurricane season.
My Mama and Dad lived through the Great Depression. They were prepared for anything when I was growing up. Some events change one’s life forever…
Wolfsrosebud, it seems like we are less prepared than previous generations. My family always had a fruit cellar with lots of food stored up. It was also where my mom took her kids when a tornado hit unexpectedly. It’s too bad that some events make us more suspicious of nature’s dark side, but the alternative can be far worse.
OMG, I was “offline” all morning until now and so am justing finding out about this disaster. My prayers are with them. It is so horrifying to watch.
I live well above see level, so this particular form of natural disaster isn’t a real concern for myself, but I know plenty of people who would be affected if such a thing happened.
Grace, I checked CNN online early this morning and then switched on the tv for the live coverage. It is horrifying. Not just for the people. The tsunami hit a farming area and I wondered how many thousands of animals were in those long buildings that were washed over.
Great losses will unfold in the coming days, I’m sure. People, creatures, livelihoods and dreams. Watching it is a strange, and stilling, experience. It reminds me how important empathy is in all that we do.
Julian, you can’t help but feel for these people. So much perseverance is going to be required in order to bring back a sense of normalcy to their lives.
Heavy stuff to think about Amy-Lynn.
I’m gonna make a cup of Earl Grey and do some ruminating.
How far above sea level am I ? Hmmmmmmm
Sybil, to find out how far above sea level you are, see
http://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-maps-find-altitude.htm
We can plan, we can be prudent, we can do our best–and we should do that. You are right. And then the very structure of our violent planet can shift, and a new volcano will rise in a cornfield. And who can plan for that?
Exactly Gerry. How can you plan for the earth shifting on its axis as it did when the earthquake hit? We can only do our best.
The videos we saw of the tsunami were terrifying and heartbreaking. It makes a hurricane seem minor in comparison, especially since we have plenty of warning for them.
Tim & I were talking about this because we live on the coast. Our town has zones for hurricane evacuation and we know that if an approaching hurricane is a Category 3 or above we MUST evacuate. And there are well-marked evacuation route signs all over town and for each residence an updated evacuation route map is delivered each year in the mail. (Although I’d be inclined to leave if ANY hurricane was approaching.) I do intend to find out the height above sea level we actually are, however. My sister, a geologist, says there is plenty of potential for tsunami disasters in the Atlantic, it’s just a matter of time.
As you say, preparation is invaluable. Knowing what to do goes a long way towards reducing panic and saving lives. Although it’s not hard to imagine after such a powerful earthquake being too stunned to even consider a tsunami following. We did see some video taken from a helicopter showing a group of people standing on very high ground looking down at the waves. Presumably they knew where they needed to go.
But also, as you say, there are sometimes things that all the planning in the world cannot protect us from. Knowing this makes life (and living in the moment) all the more precious!
Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
Barbara, the Japanese were VERY prepared. I don’t think Canadians are half as prepared for such a disaster. We like to think we’re exempt from such events but we’re not.
Thank you for such an insightful comment.