Tsunami Warning/Advisory Update
Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka has ended the Tsunami Warning. No more waves are expected. All clear!
Via JAPAN RAILWAYS: "Due to the current Tsunami warning, services of JR Yokosuka Line between Zushi and Kurihama (inbound and outbound) are being suspended as of noon today."------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo is transmitting the following information through the Embassy's warden system as a public service to all U.S. citizens in Japan. Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations or to other Americans you know.The Japan Meterological Agency has issued a Tsunami Warning/Advisory, advising people to evacuate from the seashore immediately to safe places. For the latest update please visit the Japan Meteorological Agency at: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/tsunami/AFP reports that:
More than 70,000 people fled vulnerable coastal areas of Japan Sunday as a tsunami churned up by the huge earthquake in Chile slammed into the country's long Pacific coastline."Please do not approach the coast at any cost," Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in nationally televised comments as Japan, one of the world's most quake-prone nations, went on its first major tsunami alert in 15 years.The first tsunami wave, 30 centimetres (one foot) high, hit Nemuro on the northern island of Hokkaido in the early afternoon, the Meteorological Agency said.Far bigger waves of up to three metres (10 feet) could hit northern areas of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, south of Hokkaido, the agency said.Hatoyama urged extreme caution even as fears of destructive waves eased across the rest of the Pacific
The U.S. military in Okinawa is ordering mandatory evacuations of all their personnel residing between sea level and thirty (30) feet between the hours of 2:00-5:00 P.M. local time. Additionally, they are recommending evacuations for all personnel residing between 30-60 feet above sea level.Listen here for the evacuation announcement. [ad#468x60-ad]This via the iReport (not vetted by CNN):
AFN Pacific broadcast in Okinawa reports all personnel who live 30 feet or less above sea level must evacuate to higher ground no later than 2 pm Japan standard time. Recall rosters and phone trees have been activated, in my case through the Dept of Defense Dependents School (Ryukyu MS). According to NHK (Japanese public TV) news, a tsunami of about 2 meters (about 6 feet) is expected about 3 pm Japan standard time, although AFN Pacific (Armed Forces Broadcast) indicates 3:10 pm. A photo will be uploaded if anything is to be seen on Kin Bay, which is on the Pacific Coast of Okinawa, about halfway up the 65-mile long island. It is somewhat protected by outlying islands across the bay, so no real danger is expected here. Other coastal areas may be affected however, and the U.S. military is indicating sea condition E/W-Red, which is the highest state of alert and forbids all U.S. personnel from entering the water anywhere on Okinawa.Additional information is available at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/
This via the Stars & Stripes:'
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. military commanders on Okinawa ordered a limited evacuation of coastal areas for all DOD personnel shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday, and Japanese officials ordered the evacuation of more than 4,000 people living along the coastline near Misawa Air Base in mainland Japan.Base officials at Misawa broadcast warnings to American community members early Sunday afternoon, advising that anyone living east of Route 338 were ordered to evacuate.“Leave that area immediately,” read a crawler on the American Forces Network television channel.On Okinawa a wave up to six feet in height was expected to hit Okinawa around 3:10 p.m. and could affect the entire island, not just the Pacific side, a news release from Kadena Air Base announced.All personnel living in areas less than 30 feet above sea level, which includes portions of Camps Lester, Foster, Courtney and Schwab as well as Torii Station, were ordered to evacuate to higher ground by 2 p.m. All personnel were ordered to stay away from shore areas. Residents of housing towers in the red zone, areas below 30 feet, could remain in their homes if they lived above the third floor. Personnel were advised they could start returning to their residences after 5 p.m., unless the tsunami warning is extended or cancelled. Residents were advised to stay tuned to AFN television and www.kadena.af.mil for updates. Click here for more.
For the latest security information worldwide, Americans should regularly monitor the State Department’s website at travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the Unites States, or, for callers from outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).For further information or any emergencies involving American citizens, please contact the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of either the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or one of the U.S. Consulates in Japan listed below:--------------------*** How to Contact Us ***--------------------U.S. Embassy in TokyoAmerican Citizen Services1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420Tel: 03-3224-5000Fax: 03-3224-5856http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/tacs-main.htmlThe U.S. Embassy serves Americans in Tokyo, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Yamagata and Yamanashi.Consulates:-----------* Osaka-Kobe: 11-5, Nishitenma 2-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8543; Tel: 06-6315-5912, Fax: 06-6315-5914; serving Americans in Osaka, Aichi, Ehime, Fukui, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ishikawa, Kagawa, Kochi, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Okayama, Shimane, Shiga, Tokushima, Tottori, Toyama, and Wakayama prefectures. http://osaka.usconsulate.gov/* Nagoya: Nagoya International Center Bldg. 6th floor, 1-47-1 Nagono, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 450-0001; Tel 052-581-4501, Fax: 052-581-3190; providing emergency consular services only (including death and arrest cases) for Americans living in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures. http://nagoya.usconsulate.gov/* Fukuoka: 5-26, Ohori 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0052; Tel: 092-751-9331, Fax: 092-713-9222; serving Americans in Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga and Yamaguchi prefectures. http://japan.usembassy.gov/fukuoka/wwwhmain.html* Sapporo: Kita 1-jo, Nishi 28-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0821; Tel: 011-641-1115, Fax: 011-643-1283; serving Americans in Akita, Aomori, Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. http://sapporo.usconsulate.gov/* Naha: 2-1-1 Toyama, Urasoe City, Okinawa 901-2104; Phone: 098-876-4211, Fax: 098-876-4243, DSN: 645-7323; serving Americans in Okinawa and the Amami Oshima Island group. http://naha.usconsulate.gov/Please note: Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents. This subscription list is maintained by a private company and the U.S. Government cannot guarantee the privacy of any e-mail address.If you did not receive this message directly via the U.S. Embassy’s warden email system, we encourage you, as an American living or traveling in Japan, to register with the Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.[ad#468x60-ad]
