How many of you are officially in "panic mode" from everything going on around us?  Since the first big quake, I've seen people lined up at gas stations, food flying off the shelves, and roads eerily abandoned.  Now, I'm not talking about the disaster zone.....I'm talking about areas around the base.  The gas stations have run dry between here and the base.  After driving to the base the other day, I noticed at least 6 stations that were roped off because they ran out of gas.  The stations that do have gas, have 20 cars lined up along the road waiting to fill up.  Local grocery stores have a hard time keeping items stocked on their shelves.  I just don't get it.  I know the quake was a big one, but what good would it do to have a full tank of gas?  Evacuating would only create gridlock here in Japan.  I would much rather hop on my bike and peddle my butt outta here than find myself sitting in a parking lot full of cars going nowhere.   

I'm not in panic mode yet, although, the recent news on the fuel rods today is a little unsettling. 

So, I'm just wondering, how is everyone else out there feeling right now.  Are you worried or does life go on as normal for you and your family? 

I am not yet in panic mode, but of course am prepared to evcuate at a moments notice. Though to be honest, I usually am ready to flee if necessary, and have food and emergency supplies on hand due to a history of living in disaster prone areas.

One thing I keep trying to remind myself in regards to the lack of info is that this is something that is new. No one has ever experienced a tragedy to this magnitude confounded with the compromise of nuclear power plants.

I want to believe that the officials are truly doing the best they can, and that the GOJ truly wants to minimize any further tragedy!

However, I would love to leave the area as I just feel a need to get away from the immediate stress. I would like a chance to recharge, but that is not a 'poor me' commentl, I just feel like I am completely useless right now. That is coupled with an incredible desire to reach out and help in any way possible, so I have such an incredible internal struggle. My heart is broken for those so deeply affected by this, Japan has become our second home and we love the people here.

Ultimately, I believe that God is in control, and my life is not my own.

oops double post!

I'm worried. I'm not in a full mode panic- but I'm scared.
Even more now that Erik just reported on Stars and Stripes they are detecting some radiation increase in Yokosuka- after yesterday Wren said we were so far away it wasn't even worth worrying about...

Granted it's very low, but we just don't know the extent of the damage up there in Fukushimi and I'm not confident the Gov't and TEPCO are being completely forthcoming with the seriousness of it. Maybe I'm just worrying too much and being a doomsday nut... It's confusing hearing the Japanese downplay the tragedy and the US and European media blowing it up.

And I want to put out that I worry more about the Japanese who are up north and pray for their safety.

I have to agree that we shouldn't panic, but it's also hard not to when the future is unknown. I think it's the not knowing that really gets to people.
I would think that we would be evacuated if we really needed to be. I just got extra batteries and a few extra things, but I have seen people buying carts full of stuff to take home.
I am keeping appointments and trying to keep things as normal as possible, especially in front of kids. Also am turning most things off to save electricity. Just do what you can because most things are out of our control anyway. Guess a little apathy about OUR situation has taken hold.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best is what I say.

What's going on now after radiation was discovered on the USS George Washington in port there in Yokosuka?!?!

I'm all sorts of messed up about what's going on over there. We're supposed to be there in about 2 months, but perhaps I shouldn't and all of you should come home!!!

I just saw on tv that lines into the gas station are taking an hour and half to get to and are more than a half mile long......seems to me people are becoming a little panicky. My husband said that there is no more gas left on Yokosuka Base. He also said that he went into a convenient store on the way to work today and all the fresh food was completely cleared off the shelf and there were no more drinks left.

Despite what's going on around me, I'm still very much thankful that I have electricity and a roof over my head. What is going on nearby w/ the Fukushima Plants is a bit scary and concerning, but nothing in comparison to what the people in northern Japan experienced during the tsunami.

# NEWS ADVISORY: Radiation of up to 9 times normal level briefly detected in Kanagawa (11:40) Kyodo news =/

i am really worrying about radiation leaking thing. should we leave japan for a while?

i am really worrying about radiation leaking thing. should we leave japan for a while?

i am really worrying about radiation leaking thing. should we leave japan for a while?

i am really worrying about radiation leaking thing. should we leave japan for a while?

i am really worrying about radiation leaking thing. should we leave japan for a while?

sorry, web is too slow...same post

I'm sure the bases would put out info if it was time to panic.

However, I'm pregnant so I'm going to play the "better safe than sorry" card and I'm leaving . . . At least until there's better info. I'd rather find out I wasted some money than something much worse.

I am trying not to panic. Watching the News on TV or sitting here on FB seeing CFAY'S posts and everyone else's comments isn't helping. I even have a handful of friends who have decided to purchase plane tickets to go back to the states this week until all this stuff blows over.

My family and I actually have plans to go down to Hiroshima tomorrow. We've thought about cancelling it but were going to go anyways....Trying not to panic :/

Wow....Im not in main land but its still tense. All we can do down here is watch in horror.

Everyone is trying to distract themselfs by trying to donate and voluenteer. It so weird I am actually going to have to find those addresses to send relife myself too because I have brand new blankets I bought at the Exchange to donate and everyone is soo full they wont take anymore right now. But nothing as crazy as what you guys are seeing. And if anyone really needs a flash light that badly Ill just send one to you. Just leave your psc address in my inbox.

We are planning on driving out that way as well (Hiroshima).  Have you heard anything about gas being available or not along the way?  Or are you guys taking the train?

While I may not in panic mode, it's because my friend called me and told me about the radiation on the pier, I am scared. Being alone with my cats and then CFAY posting that there are contingencies plans, should I be packing a bag or what?

I'm trying to stay calm- this helped- we would get more radiation flying from Tokyo to NY than what they were reading on the pier.

Estimated dose (Micro-Sieverts) Activity
5 sleeping next to your spouse for one year
10 a year of watching TV at an average rate
10 a year of wearing a luminous dial watch
10 a year of living in the USA from nuclear fuel and power plants
10 a day from background radiation (average, varys a lot throughout the world)
20 having a chest x-ray
65 flying from Melbourne to London, via Singapore
300 Yearly dose due to body's potassium-40
460 maximum possible offsite dose from Three Mile Island Accident
400 - 1000 Average annual dose from Medical sources
7,000 having a PET scan
8,000 having a chest CT (CAT) scan
50,000 off-site dose from accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (estimates vary widely)
2,000,000 Typical single dose to Cancer region from Radiation Therapy
700,000 - 13,000,000 staff and firefighters at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during and immediately after the accident
65,000,000 Typical total dose to Cancer region from Radiation Therapy

I think you might as well pack a bag, and I don't think that constitutes "panic mode." There is a difference between freaking out and being prepared. It wouldn't hurt to at least start thinking about what you would need (passports, etc) just in case. Calm preparation ahead of time is always better than last minute chaos.

Zeke- We are taking the Bullet train which is still running in Shinagawa going South.

Curious, how are you getting to the Shinkansen?

We were considering visiting friends in Nagoya and the shinkansen is the best way to go.

We are taking the regular trains to Shinigawa to catch the shinkansen. Were hoping we will make it there. My husband rode on the regular lines train today and said it wasn't that bad compared to yesterday and Monday. If for some reason we are not able to make it to Shinigawa to catch the bullet train, IACE said they will give us a refund.

I'm not in panic mode yet either, but definitely concerned and following all precautions. My biggest problem is that since the big earthquake on Friday, my children are terrified every time they think they feel something shaking. They are so on edge, waiting for the next tremor, and now all the radiation stuff is not helping. I had tried to keep the radiation issue away from them and not talk about it too much, but of course they heard about it at school and came home with all sorts of questions and are now concerned. My issue with the radiation is that I want more information. We're being told that the levels seen are equal to that of one chest x-ray. Well, one chest x-ray is fine, but how many days are we going to be exposed to that level and at what point does a daily "chest x-ray" become a bigger issue? Especially for growing children whose cells are multiplying at a much quicker rate. How does a higher daily dose affect them in the long-run? And how long are we expecting the radiation to linger in our area? These are the kinds of things I'd like to see some answers to before I decide that it's nothing to worry about. In the meantime, I am trying to keep as much of a sense of normalcy as possible while also be cautious. It's been a balancing act. I'm glad other people are concerned as well. I keep getting the sense on FaceBook that everyone is OK with the current situation and I was starting to feel like I am the only one who is a little worried.

On the idea of packing a bag... Everyone should have a BOB (Bug Out Bag) if you're assigned to countries that occasionally suffer the odd natural catastrophe and those that deal with man-made chaos.

What constitutes a BOB is pretty much up to you and what you think you'll need. Basic rule of thumb for a BOB is that should be able to sustain you and your family with food and water (in the most dire terms) for at least a few days, so think 4 bottles or so, and a couple boxes of energy bars, etc. At least a change of socks and skivvies. More importantly, it's where you should keep your passports when you're not going anywhere and you should keep a small supply of recurring meds, if they're needed (high BP pills, thyroid meds, asthma inhalers, etc) and spare eye glasses for those that need them (next time you buy a new pair, put the old ones in the BOB).

When packed, the BOB should be light enough to carry for expected durations. If you're gonna be walking, a 100lb rucksack is gonna wear you out quick. Having something on wheels and with an extendable handle is great, unless you have to get off the asphalt. The bag itself should be durable (no Hello Kitty carry-on bags) and everything inside should be wrapped up for water protection (ziplocks and drawstring trash bags).

Most of all, you've got to keep it near where you plan to exit your abode. Top shelf of a closet under winter blankets is not going to cut it. If your bedroom has an exit, putting it under the bed with the handle close at hand, is ideal.

Also, see your command NEO Coordinator and get a package. Fill it out and turn it in. And keep a copy.

In the BOB.

Is it my imagination, or has the Yokosuka hysteria died down in the last two days? I don't mean to minimize the situation, but there were some people "over the top" a while ago, raising alarm & fear. I haven't seen that on JB recently. It could be that those who were genuinely panicked have gone back to the States, or perhaps the overall mood is more calm now. Just wondering if anything has changed up there.

anti-nuclear energy scientists  and activists agitate people's fear

we don't need to worry about radiation around tokyo

even three-mile had no serious effect on the surrounding the people and environment .   just  people got panic

thayguy has cool judgment 　as I expected


 los angeles times
"Japan's massive earthquake has little effect on culture's impeccable manners"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-quake-polite-20110313,0,4238012.story


why is there no looting in Japan

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100079703/why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan/


I'm very proud of my country's people

Gene's wife here.

Taka bell, you should be proud of your country! We love Japan and this is one of the reason's why.

That being said there are some real concerns here, we just truly do not know the magnitude or the eventual outcome yet. There has never been an event just like this, so we will learn as we go, and after the fact.

Initially I had no desire what so ever to leave, and sadly most of me still doesn't want to, but I sit at Narita with my children waiting for our flight. I consider myself very strong, with a strong faith and extremely self sufficient, however I began to realize that the aftershocks were beginning to really have a toll and I was obsessing a bit. The images on TV bring me to my knees and I am heatbroken over the lost and broken lives, souls and destruction.

Eventually, I also realized that I am making it harder on my husband as he was worrying about me while trying to carry out his work helping Japan. Beyond that if we find out later that there was truly a risk and I ignored it, I would never forgive my self for my children's sakes. So it made sense to 'take a break' from this chaos so I can get perspective and regroup. I don't plan on being gone for too long, this has become my home, but a break is OK.

Each person has to weigh this out for themselves. List your priorities, and act accordingly. That being said, my NEO packet was prepared shortly after we settled here and it made it much easier to just grab that and go. I didn't even have to stop at the ATM. I do feel very badly for those married to host country nationals, it certainly changes everything for them.

A big difference to consider between Japanese & American response to this disaster... We have the luxury to pick up and leave if we so desire. The Japanese don't. This is their home, they have nowhere else to go. They must face the dragon & put it to rest. Americans have shown the same resolve when tragedy has struck in our own land.

thanks Gene and thaiguy

we have many proverbs that tells morality and nobility , for example

"Bushi wa kuwanedo takayoji"
(Samurai are people who conspicuously use a toothpick when they have not eaten )

even if Samurai are starving ,they pretend to be full . no complaint . the proverb praise how Samurai noble is.
that describes Samurai's way of life in which they put honor and pride above everything else

"Boro wa kitetemo kokoro wa nishiki" (rags on the outside , brocade within)

that indicates the importance of keeping one's spirit high even if living in poverty

"Hana wa Sakuragi, Hito wa Bushi" (Flower is cherry trees, Man is Samurai)

"Nanakorobi Yaoki" (fall seven times , stand up eight )

when life knocks you down , stand buck up and keep trying


Einstein loved these proverbs

I'm not scary about Nuclear power at all , so I wanna say "Welcome George Washington"

carry on as normal
none of us are at risk. ill continue riding my bike to work, and going out and taking photos at will.
none of us are in any danger, stop watching fox news!

I know , around Tokyo is safe

but I understand people are afraid of radioactivity, because Japanese goverment doesn't make it clear

Japanese democratic party is really useless , 70% of them are communists

you dont have to rely on the government

there are independent locations around japan that test for radiation
http://maps.google.co.jp/maps/ms?hl...111328&z=5

dont rely on someone else to tell you what to think. find out for yourself.
i dont trust any government ESPECIALLY since Yokota AB has been caught lieing and then covering it up on their facebook page when asked. PACAF commander specified us and two other bases as seeing higher than normal (not dangerous of course) levels of radiation as Yokota as been denying any changes since the start of the mess. I post a question asking about it, and then it gets deleted, and i get banned from posting comments on the FB page!!!! rediculous!

a funny fact is....

radioactiviy figures in Yokosuka is about 0.054　micro sievert per hour ,

if you travel from tokyo to newyork by airplane, you are exposed to radioactivity 200 micro sievert per hour lol

takabell, 

Found this the other day, thought some on here might find it interesting:


http://blog.xkcd.com/2011/03/19/rad...ion-chart/

Posted By Amy on 03-20-2011 9:50 PM
Found this the other day, thought some on here might find it interesting:


http://blog.xkcd.com/2011/03/19/rad...ion-chart/

Interesting find, Amy.  Thanks for posting.

I think so many fear radiation because it is tasteless, odorless, colorless, and all so mysterious to so many people.  Most of us don't really know anything about it.  And, what we don't know, we fear.  Hopefully in the future, we will learn s/thing from this terrible incident in Fukushima and how to prevent s/thing like this from every happening again. 

I am not panicked and will not be. However, as the DH of Quality Management here at the hospital, I have access to primary source information that would need to be given to healthcare providers. I can say with confidence that the base leadership and Japanese government, while not perfect in execution, have done a fantastic job. As I have mentioned in other discussions; here at the hospital it is business as usual and routine medical appointments are still being performed/scheduled. If you have specific questions about hospital access and/or operations, please contact our PAO (Ben Avey).

Hope that everyone is okay! On a more personal note: I wish that people would stop hoarding the Top Ramen (as a single guy living alone, that is my primary source of sustenance)

@Austin I was mad when I went to the commissary the other day and they were out of spam!!! (OK, they had one can of hot and spicy left but yuck!) All's I usually get to hear is how disgusting spam is but when you think the world is falling down you have to take it from the people who actually like it!!! I was so looking forward to spam musubis! But then I'm no better than a college bachelor when it comes to cooking on a normal basis. But man, ramen and egg sound really good right now.