Tsunami Hits Japan

[DangoDaikazoku]

There were major earthquakes in Japan, and a tsunami hit quickly afterwords. Japan is devastated, not only that, but the tsunami is headed towards Hawaii, Oregan, and California. I know you guys have already been discussing this on the General Forum, but I thought it was important that we have it here as well. I want us to pray for the safety of the people who live in these regions, mainly Japan. Let God comfort the people already hit and use this as a chance for his gospel to spread like a wildfire through Japan. For more information on the tsunami:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/killer-tsunami-surges-across-japan-after-89-quake-20110311-1bqym.html?from=smh_sb
Thank you for your prayers.

[Okami]

The tsunami has hit Hawaii by now, as well. My brother-in-law is stationed down there and I got a text this morning asking that I pray for his safety. (So I'm passing that along, please) His wife/my sister is currently home for a couple of weeks so keep her in prayer, too.

[bkilbour]

Yep - I'll be praying for them.
Also, does anyone know where to donate to relief?

[Atria35]

My hopes and prayers are for the people who've been caught in this.

[TopazRaven]

I'll be praying to. This is all just so terrible.

[rocklobster]

Me too.

[Mithrandir]

We are praying.

Also, does anyone know where to donate to relief?

I don't normally encourage cross-posting, but in this case I'm going to pull something out of my other post:

For the record, there are some security personnel talking about criminal organization scamming people under the guise of soliciting donations. If you want to help out, I would really encourage you to either funnel your donations to an outfit you know *really well* or use the Red Cross. The RC is set up to respond rapidly in situations like this.

If anyone feels the need to comment about the above, *please* do it in the other thread - not in the prayer thread. Let's keep this one on target.

[Ally-Ann]

Definitely praying. Those poor people.

[DangoDaikazoku]

Lucklily, here in California, it wasn't hit bad, seems as far as I can see only one man is missing. He ignored the evacuate area to take pictures and was swept out to sea. I pray he is alright, and lives to learn a lesson. Thanks for your prayers. I am praying now for the rescue efforts, let God lead them to the people in need.

[Tsukuyomi]

As will I

[TopazRaven]

Still praying this will all be over soon and Japan will recover fast.

[FllMtl Novelist]

I'll keep praying. This is really scary stuff.

[AnimeGirl]

Have been praying, will continue to pray. I hope they recover soon. Also, one of my mom's friends live there, so I hope she and her family are alright. I'm not sure where in Japan they live, but wherever they are, I hope they are OK, so I am praying for them as well! Also, one of my friends and his school was headed to Hawaii, but due to the waves there....yeah, alot to pray about!

[c.t.,girl]

praying...and also i found this on someone's DA: http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

[steenajack]

I'll be praying as well.

[Yuki-Anne]

The easiest thing for me to do is copy and paste the prayer list I'd already compiled. Sorry if this is repeated information, but this is the most comprehensive prayer list I know of.

At 2:46 PM local time, March 11, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck Japan off the eastern coast of Miyagi, prefecture. This is the largest recorded earthquake ever to have struck Japan, and one of the five largest recorded earthquakes in the world. Even after 36 hours, heavy aftershocks were still being felt throughout northeastern Japan, with no way of knowing how long these aftershocks will continue. Some experts have said that there could be strong aftershocks of up to magnitude level 8 for six months. Please pray that the earthquakes will cease. Pray also for the buildings that survived the initial shock, but are being hammered by the aftershocks. Many buildings still stand, but were weakened, and because of this strong aftershocks are very dangerous.

The devastation from the initial earthquake was compounded by heavy tsunami that hammered the east coast. Sendai City was hit the hardest, both by the temblor and the tsunami. Some towns were entirely obliterated by the tsunami. At 6 PM on Sunday, March 14th, tsunami advisories across the eastern coastal region were finally lifted. Praise God that these tsunami have ceased. Please pray that the affected areas remain safe from further tsunami.

Due to the seismic activity, the ground level in much of coastal Japan actually sank, so sea water that came in during the tsunami is not receding. This is hampering relief efforts. Please pray that relief teams will be able to work safely in these areas.

In the wake of the earthquake, fires raged throughout affected areas. Pray for the victims of these fires and those who have lost their homes.

Hundreds of people are still stranded in damaged areas. Rescue is difficult due to the remaining tsunami water. Please pray for their swift rescue.

Casualty reports are still coming in. The death toll estimates keep rising. It is possible that the death toll could exceed 10,000 in Miyagi prefecture alone. Pray for those who have lost their loved ones. Pray for those who are trapped and injured, as well as those who are missing friends and family.

In Fukushima Prefecture, two nuclear power plants are under a state of emergency. The reactors are overheating at the number 1 plant, and at the number 2 plant, the reactor pressure has been rising. At the Fukushima number 1 plant, there was an explosion Saturday afternoon, 4 PM local time, injuring four workers. The evacuation around the Fukushima power plant 1 has been expanded to 20 kilometers. Radiation levels at the plant have been measured at 1,051 microsievert. One hour of exposure to that much radiation is the same amount that the average human receives in a year. As of Sunday morning, 9 evacuees from the 20 km radius around the plant had been found with radiation exposure. Please pray that the situation will get under control soon, before anything more serious occurs.

Pray also for the weather. With radiation being diffused into the air, wind or rain could carry it into populated areas and expose people. Pray that any wind will carry radiation out to sea rather than into populated areas. What's more, bitterly cold night-time temperatures could prove life-threatening for those who are trapped.

Public transit systems in Tokyo and the surrounding areas were shut down for hours after the quake, with some people still stranded away from their families. Limited railway use has resumed. Pray for those who are stranded away from their loved ones at this difficult time.

Millions of homes in northeastern Japan are without power, and over a million homes in Ibaraki prefecture are without fresh water supplies. Pray for the power plants and water facilities to be able to resume their work, and pray for those who do not have these essential supplies.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the coastal areas and the area around the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Please pray for them, and all who are having to stay in public shelters.

Relief workers are working around the clock to rescue survivors, but reaching many victims is proving incredibly difficult due to the rubble and water levels. Pray for the relief workers, that God would grant safety and stamina.

Pray for the Christians of Japan, that we would be able to mobilize relief efforts and provide for people's needs, both physical and spiritual.

Please pray also for the other countries affected by the tsunami.

Share this with your facebook friends. Put it in your church bulletins. Send out e-mails. The situation is grim. Pray for us.

On a personal note, please pray for me. It is very hard not to be in a state of constant fear in this situation. I have had to take a break from monitoring the news for a while because it is taking such a toll on me emotionally. I have taken on a role of information distribution and communications for the time being, working remotely by internet with http://www.crashjapan.com to help as much as I can with relief efforts. I think the hardest thing for me right now is being alone; I have no team. The church staff has been amazing, and Nakamura-sensei is staying with me for at least a week due to power issues at her home, but it's been hard on me not to have a fellow native English speaker around. Also, my church is located less than 300 miles from the epicenter of the initial quake, and less than 150 miles from the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Pray for my safety and encouragement, and pray that I can continue to trust God in this crisis.

[Kaori]

The people of Japan are continually in my thoughts and prayers.

I have had to take a break from monitoring the news for a while because it is taking such a toll on me emotionally.

Same here, despite the fact that my region wasn't affected. I can only imagine what it must be like for you, since you live in an area that is affected by the earthquakes. I said this in the other thread already, but I will pray for you.

[Magicman7200]

I will pray for the People that survived the tsunami in North East Japan. I hope that the people will come to christ after this horrible event that has occured

[Ally-Ann]

I know this is probably a little off subject, but over the radio, they just announced that in another part of Japan, a volcano errupted. That's three major catastrophies in three to four days. Pray for the country in general that nothing more will happen. I can't imagine going through something like that.

[TGJesusfreak]

I know this is probably a little off subject, but over the radio, they just announced that in another part of Japan, a volcano errupted. That's three major catastrophies in three to four days. Pray for the country in general that nothing more will happen. I can't imagine going through something like that.

Definatly. I'll continue praying. My cousin Glen lives in Japan. He was 8 miles in from the coast near Sendai when the earthquake hit. We JUST got news that he and his wife are both ok. I pray for anyone else's family in Japan... i hope they're ok =/

[ST. Attidude]

I have and I am still praying for them...

http://st-attidude.deviantart.com/#/d3bfwd8

[Ally-Ann]

They've just declared a level 6 meltdown in Japan. The highest it goes is 7. My heart aches every time I see this on the news. I'm praying as hard as I can.

[Nate]

They've just declared a level 6 meltdown in Japan. The highest it goes is 7.

That's...kind of impossible, as "meltdown" isn't a scientific word and isn't used in nuclear terminology. You're referring to the International Nuclear Event Scale, though, which is used to describe any nuclear incident. The highest that goes is 7, yes, but I find it really difficult to believe this is a 6. The description for a level 6 event says:

"Significant release of radioactive material likely to require implementation of planned countermeasures."

From what I've heard, the release of radioactive material is pretty small, and there won't be a very significant effect on the environment. Especially considering a level 5 accident is classified as "causing several deaths from radiation," meaning a 6 would have to be worse than that.

According to news sources, there is disagreement over the current rating of this incident. Japanese experts assert it should be rated level 4; French experts contend it should be rated level 6. It sounds more like a 4 to me, personally. Which is still bad, of course. But not as bad as it could be.

[Ally-Ann]

[quote="Nate (post: 1465397)"]That's...kind of impossible, as "meltdown" isn't a scientific word and isn't used in nuclear terminology. You're referring to the International Nuclear Event Scale, though, which is used to describe any nuclear incident. The highest that goes is 7, yes, but I find it really difficult to believe this is a 6. The description for a level 6 event says:

"Significant release of radioactive material likely to require implementation of planned countermeasures."

From what I've heard, the release of radioactive material is pretty small, and there won't be a very significant effect on the environment. Especially considering a level 5 accident is classified as "causing several deaths from radiation," meaning a 6 would have to be worse than that.

According to news sources, there is disagreement over the current rating of this incident. Japanese experts assert it should be rated level 4]

That's what my mom says. Anywho~ Pray anyway.

[Nate]

Oh yeah, I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't worth praying over. It definitely is.

[Kunoichi]

Still praying