Earthquake Preparedness

It’s been over three years since Japan was hit with the Tohoko earthquake, the “big one.” Last week, Tokyo experienced one of the largest quakes since then and we had another shaker this morning  I’m sure for many who are new to Yokosuka, and have never felt a quake before, it can be quite a scary experience. I know it got my heart racing!  Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Are you prepared to ride one out?

Down in Yokosuka, not far from City Hall, is the area Emergency Preparedness Center. This is a great little facility to check out and learn about disaster preparedness here. Yes, it is all in Japanese, but the pictures are pretty obvious and the staff very helpful.  If you can go with a Japanese speaker, even better.  KPHS took a field trip here last year that was a fantastic experience. 

The facility’s main attraction is the earthquake simulator.  Here you can ride out a 6.5 earthquake and really get a feel for the power of Mother Nature.  Although only a few of the kids were here in 2011 to feel the big one, they all enjoyed the safe experience.  For another few, this was their first time feeling the sensation.

Earthquakes here are frequent.  Some are small, some have been pretty good, such as that last week.  The buildings here are built to sustain large quakes, and that is a comfort to know.  (Down at the Edo Museum in Tokyo, you can see just how they’re built.) It is always a good idea to know your surroundings.  To have flashlights at the ready; be prepared. Check out Ready.gov for earthquake preparation and what to do.  To get information about an earthquake, visit the Japanese Meteorological Agency. This is the picture from today's quake. It was a 4.9 in Chiba.