On the afternoon of March 11th (Japanese time), a Magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck the north east side of Japan. Japan, and the eastern side of it has been devastated not just by this earthquake and it's aftershocks. The high tsunami (actual height varied) struck the north-eastern Japanese coastline in the wake of the earthquake, sweeping homes and vehicles inland. Due to the damage from the earthquakes and tsunamis, not only has there been a severe loss of life and damage to property, but there are also concerns with a total of 5 nuclear reactors at 2 different power plants in Fukushima and Daichi prefectures, respectively. While there is no threat of explosion due to the reactors' light water design, there has been a loss of power and there is the risk of possible leakage of radioactive steam into the atmosphere. In addition to this, the city of Sendai has been the hardest hit, being closest to the epicenter of the quake, and there are reports of fires, including at an oil refinery, all along the north-eastern coast of Japan.
If you have friends or family in Japan that you haven't heard from, then Google has stepped up to the plate with its People-Finder app, which can be accessed at http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/ for those of you who are searching or have information. Enter the name of the person you're looking for, or create a profile for them in the event they are tracked down and you will be contacted.
This is a terrible disaster to befall a great country, and there are ways to help you can find them everywhere. Here are a few ways:
1) You can go to the Red Cross' website at http://www.redcross.ca/ or http://www.redcross.org/
and donate online.
OR
If you want to donate $5 charged directly to your cell phone bill, text REDCROSS or ASIA to 30333 in Canada. If you're American, you can donate $10 by texting REDCROSS or ASIA to 90999.
2) Salvation Army personnel are organizing efforts in Tokyo and will soon send a team to help the severely damaged city of Sendai, Japan. To contribute to earthquake relief, text 'JAPAN' or 'QUAKE' to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/.
3) Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending two three-person teams to the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan. To learn more about the organization's efforts or make a donation, visit http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/.
4 ) Save the Children has Mobilized Response to Massive Japan Earthquake, Tsunamis.Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. http://www.savethechildren.org/
OR
If you play any Zynga games on facebook such as Farmville or Frontierville you can donate with your Zynga cash to the Save the Children fund (100% is donated). From $5 and up, zynga also gives you a few Japanese game features as a thank you.
Our hearts are with the good people of Japan, and we wish them well as they recover from this devastating tragedy. We know our readers here are following this, and we want to make sure that you can help if you are able.
Je Pe
Vandala Concepts
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