Tag Archives: nuclear

Fukushima

Liquefaction occured in Japan

Officials in Japan now confirm that liquefaction took place during the 9.0 quake.

This added to the destruction.  Roads, power poles and buildings were damaged directly by liquefaction.

Liquefaction is a major concern in the United States along the New Madrid fault line.  There is evidence, and reports of liquefaction during a series of strong quakes during the 1800s.

Liquefaction causes solids, like sand, to act like water.  It happens when great pressure is applied, as in the case of an earthquake.

Fukushima

For first time Japanese Military will help survivors

NHK reported that for the first time since the quake/tsunami disaster the JSDF (Japanese Self Defense Force) will help supply survivors with food, water and other necessities.

They will  begin by sending out helicopters to shelters to determine what is needed. This action is being taken after more than 6 days since the 9.0 quake/tsunami struck.

Until now, the JSDF was involved only with rescue/recovery operations.

This is another example of how unprepared the Japanese government is.

Fukushima

No progress at Fukushima Daiichi?

Latest press conference from Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.

Officials still not sure about water levels at the reactors & spent fuel pools.  Deciding if radiation levels are low enough to fly recon aircraft over to take photos.

Officials still evaluating the effects of yesterday’s water dropping & spraying.

Workers still struggling to get new power lines hooked up to the plant.  Power panels on reactors need to be replaced. Radiation levels on site still a problem.

Priority and progress of work affected by number of workers, radiation levels, and other factors.

Help from the United States is appreciated, and specific requests have been made.  Reports say U.S. Secretary of State Clinton announced that coolant specifically for nuclear reactors is in short supply.  Japanese officials say they will have to continue using water  (which is not optimal).

Business/Economics, Fukushima, U.S.

GM joins Toyota in reducing U.S. production

General Motors (GM) has announced that due to auto parts shortages, caused by the disasters in Japan, they will have to shut down some production in the United States.

A GM plant in Louisiana is the first to be closed, for a week, as a result.

Toyota had announced that it would slow production in its U.S. factories. Officials say production will not be affected at their engine plants. Instead of closing plants altogether, Toyota has eliminated overtime work.

Ford says so far their U.S. operations are not affected, Honda said the same thing.

Fukushima, Opinion

Lesson from Japan; you can never prepare for Mother Earth

Not only can you never be prepared enough for Mother Earth, but you can not rely on your government for help.  Time after time, natural disasters through out history proves this.

It is clear that any disaster preparations in Japan, prior to the 9.0 quake/tsunami, were not enough.  In several coastal towns the sea barrier walls did not stand up to the tsunami.   Previous ideas of how long people would have before a tsunami would hit, after an earthquake, were shattered.  There are coastal towns that have signs demarcating where the expected limits of any tsunami would be, but it’s now clear the tsunami blew past those expected limits.

It is also clear that the national government is not prepared for something like this, but we have to remember it is dealing with the nuclear disaster as well.  As a result, local governments are being burdened with dealing with the natural disasters, and many local officials are saying they are not equipped to do so. Local governments had expected the national government to handle such large natural disasters.  This is not a good sign for the rest of the world because Japan had always been looked up to as a shining example of disaster preparedness.

The residents of coastal towns and cities, that can be considered the ground zeros of the tsunami, could have never prepared enough.  Stocking up on food and water,  medical supplies, or any other item considered essential for survival, is a waste of time because it was all swept away by the floods.  Everything was destroyed.  However, in the periphery of the disaster, where many of the emergency shelters are, it is clear that preparations were not enough, as they have started running out of food, water, heating fuel and medical supplies.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t prepare.  People outside the disaster areas are now dealing with food, water and fuel shortages.  This is an example of why everyone, everywhere should have a stockpile of food, water and fuel.  You never know, you might just survive that big disaster, and that’s when you’ll need the basic necessities.

Clearly disaster preparedness in Japan shows signs of underestimating potential disasters, overestimating the effectiveness of preparations, and overestimating any government assistance.

Fukushima

U.S. Military ready to evacuate military families from Japan

There are dozens of U.S. military bases on Honshu, with thousands of dependents.  At this point the evacuation order is voluntary, it’s called “military-assisted voluntary departure.”

The plan involves taking military dependents to Korea.  Because the it is a voluntary evacuation, commercial flights would be used.  There is a potential for thousands of people wanting out, in that case they will start using military transports.

Potassium Iodide pills are being shipping in, mainly for JSDF troops, and U.S. personnel involved in fighting to keep Fukushima Daiichi plant cool.

Fukushima

Hospitals in Tsunami area need Help, Shelters not prepared

Believe it or not, there are still hospitals full of patients, in the tsunami hit areas.

A doctor at one hospital said he is physically exhausted.  After struggling to survive the tsunami, he has been working non stop at the local hospital.  The first floor of his hospital is useless, being covered in mud.  Medications are running out.  Only now are rescue volunteers reaching his hospital.

In other areas, where people had to be taken out of their hospitals, there have been deaths, due to hypothermia.  Elderly patients, who were soaking wet from the flood, and cold, died in an emergency shelter (2 one the evacuation bus, 12 in the shelter).  Shelter officials say they could not keep them warm.  A chronic problem with the emergency shelters is that they do not have sufficient heating. It is apparent that they were relying on outside electrical power, which is gone. This is another example that contradicts the international belief in Japan being the best prepared for natural disaster.  Other “shelters” are nothing more than schools.

Shelter officials, and hospital personnel, say the most critical problem now is lack of medication, especially for people with chronic medical problems, like diabetes.