By now you must have heard already.
An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck the northwestern province of Niigata, Japan collapsing houses and halting train operations. Casualties are said to increase as people searched through the rubble. A fire broke out in the nuclear reactor site in Kashiwazaki City. A tsunami warning was issued off the coastal area but was lifted after a few hours.
Earthquake of almost the SAME intensity struck the SAME area last October 23, 2004.
Japan sits precariously on 4 tectonic plates. Two major earthquake in three years!! After the main quake this morning, several aftershocks came including one strong one with a magnitude of 5.8.
Pictures on top of a mountain; it’s already almost June when this was taken but there are still traces of snow
Niigata Prefecture is very close to my heart – it is M’s hometown. His family, my in-laws are all there.
Summer in Kawanishi-machi, 20 kms. from Kashiwazaki
Niigata winters aren’t appealing at all so we try to visit them during spring or summer.
Does this justify why I don’t like Niigata Prefecture in winter?
My brother and M’s brother at the peak of winter. My brother wants to see ‘some’ snow so I sent him there 😉
My mother in-law called me a few minutes ago saying their house is still standing (as it is built on a very big rock!).
Niigata Prefecture is an agricultural area with most of the houses being built on top of rice paddies which is soft and very vulnerable to jolts.
Thinking of all of you and praying for safety.
Finding Backroads 
Praying for their safety as well!
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Prayers going out!!
Since I live in California, I know quite a bit about earthquakes! Fortunately, I live in the northern end of the Central Valley where we feel the reverberations from time to time but the epicenter is generally somewhere far away. We felt both the Loma Prieta (SF) quake in 1989 and the Northridge one in 1994. In fact, the Northridge quake — some 350 miles away — woke me up because I had a waterbed and I thought someone was shaking it. When I woke and realized my husband had already left for work, the kids were in their beds and the cat was in the other room, I turned on the news to hear the early reports.
We have to keep these folks in prayer for the next several days because of the aftershocks which could follow. Sometimes they are more devastating than the initial quake.
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Oh Grace, you are my news. I just woke up and checked your blog. And then googled the news. My prayers go out as well.
I HATE earthquakes. Living in Southern California, we know them too well.
hopefully the aftershocks are not too harsh!
Will keep checking.
The area looks lovely you are right. And yes maybe alot of snow, but I LOVE SNOW!!!!! ;-))
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Glad to hear that your husband’s family are ok. We felt the main one and the big aftershock even down here. Watching the news tonight there certainly was quite a bit of damage but luckily not too many were killed.
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I just read the news…i’m on teary eyes! National highway being cut off, sure it was very strong. We’ll pray for them Grace, hope your in laws are ok.
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Glad to hear that your husband’s family is OK. Like JHS, I lived in Orange County, CA, not very far away from North Ridge earthquake in ’94 and that was the biggest one I’d ever been in, and I’d grown up there for over 20 years. I’ll keep your husband’s family in my thoughts for their continued safety.
Gorgeous photos of the snow!It’s like Christmas in July!
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I’ve only been through one earthquake, and that was scary enough – I can’t imagine a big one. Prayers for the continued safety of everyone …
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Glad to hear that your in-laws are safe and sound. I heard about the earthquake this morning when I woke up. Earthquakes in Japan usually mean tsunami warnings in Hawaii but not this time.
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Thank God your in-laws are ok!
They said that Osaka also shook slightly but I didn’t notice.
If only we could completely get rid of those earthquakes…
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Wow. I hope everyone is ok.
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Praying for their continued safety!
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That’s a very sayd news… hope everyone could get back on their feet soon
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