I’m putting this up on the Forum so everybody can see. All you guys out west PLEASE let us know how you are!!! Just Checking in on our folks here,
Fear not! The tsunami pretty much fizzled out before it got here, with a few exceptions, like Crescent City, CA. Not nearly the loss of property as in Japan.
Thanks for asking!
Doing o.k. inland but boy this is scary isn’t it? The news tonight said that the earthquake made earth’s rotation speed up a little bit.
OK, that’s just freaky!!!
My thoughts and prayers are with the people impacted by this terrible tragedy. I can see the Puget Sound from my apartment window (if I stand on my tiptoes) but I am high, high up on a plateau called Phinney Ridge and in absolutely no danger from a tsunami. However, I look down on a waterfront neighborhood called Ballard and sometimes I really worry about the low-lying areas. I have to just breathe and let go of the fear at times like these, because a major earthquake at just the wrong spot would send water up into the Sound just like it does in these other terrible earthquakes. What can you do? We are all facing much greater danger every day when we drive to work (statistically speaking).
We can make a donation to the Red Cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999 and then responding YES to the reply. There are lots of other charities that help during disasters, too. I guess that’s the best way to channel our fears.
Oh, and teach every child and teen we know: a tsunami warning is not an invitation to go to the beach to surf or take photographs!!!
Everything is fine here, I woke up and my house and everything else was still here 
back in the early am hours when it was unfolding and the first tsunami warnings were issued for the west coast, I grabbed the keys ran out the door and got my tank topped off, paranoid of more skyrocketing gas prices encase the bay area here got screwed up. But all turned out well.
My best friend is a fisherman and he was called up during the early am hours, his crew and hundreds of other boats deployed to sea to avoid damage back at the harbors, tsunami safely cleared right underneath them all.
I feel for the Japanese, must be harsh over there right now 
I feel terrible for his family.
I grew up in Louisiana and every time there is a hurricane in the Gulf some group of idgets gets drunk and goes down to the seawalls or beaches to party – inevitably someone (or a group) gets drowned in the process.
So sad for their families.
Spent most of the day monitoring BBC and NHK coverage – the devastation is unbelievable. Haven’t heard yet from a step-sister in Tokyo or other family in Nagano (which was hit by a 6.7 tremor during our mid-day); but we think all are okay.
Even so, seems truly incredible that the death toll has reached only 1,000…
They don’t know about the death toll yet, that was just an estimate. I don’t think search and rescue teams are in yet and there is such a huge area to cover before the final figure is known. Hope your family in Japan is ok.
I really feel so sorry for the Japinise (I know I probably spelled that wrong) I just want to say I’m glad our family is still here. I know there were some member’s here from Japan and I wish they would let us know how they are but I betting there’s no eletricity there. They are having soooooo much to have to deal with at this sad time.
I’m glad to hear all your family is ok, Muragaki. What a terrifying thing that must have been to not know. I don’t know anyone there and I stared in shock at the pictures on the news, tears streaming down my face. Unfortunately, I think the true death toll is already heading way beyond that. We thought it was a big deal here in SF when we had our 7.1 in 1989 and the news said the one in Japan was 900 times bigger. I hope everyone you have there is heard from and well.
Do we have any Japanese members? I know we must. Please check in here so we know you are ok. And my thoughts out to all who have loved ones there.
Praying for your family.
The death toll will be much worse, I fear. I read today that about half of a town of 17,000 right on the coast is…missing.
So sad.
Thanks for posting this, Doris.
I want to lnow like everybody else. I hope all is good with our family!
Dear, sweet Judith, I am profoundly touched by your inquiry – thank you.
The BBC is indicating that the Japanese Red Cross has responded, so I believe that would be an appropriate agency. Be sure to indicate that your contribution is for Japan quake relief, which will ensure its use toward the specific purpose. I’ll be doing the same shortly… http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000&s_subsrc=RCO_NewsArticle
A side note: I resolved not long ago to live, going forward, quite differently than I had previously. Events like the earthquake and tsunami, which no one and no science can predict yet has wreaked immeasurable havoc and indiscriminately snuffed out lives, are real lessons in living each day without regret, to never say “if only” or “what if.” None of us really knows how much time we have, so this I say to all of you on TuD: Plan for tomorrow but live for today, confident that you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life.
For that, you can thank Japan’s extremely strict building codes. Some older buildings did collapse, but the newer ones withstood the quake. Of course, it’s still a tragedy that so many people lost their lives, but at least it wasn’t as bad as Indonesia or Haiti. I checked on all my Japanese friends, and they’re all OK, but very shaken up!