Sending Prayers to Japan

Waves of tsunami hit residences after a powerful earthquake in Natori, Miyagi prefecture (state), Japan, Friday, March 11, 2011. The largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the eastern coast Friday. Kyodo News

Alaska is no stranger to earthquakes but the massive earthquake that struck Japan late Thursday triggered a tsunami which swept along the Alaska coastline from the Aleutian chain to Southeast Alaska Friday morning, causing no reports of damage but fear and concern among many people. Tokyo bound flights were diverted to Anchorage International Airport as Japan continues to assess the devastation from the 8.9 quake. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the Japanese people, especially Anchorage's sister city of Chitose, Japan.

Euan Craig is a potter living north of Tokyo in a small, rural community of Mashiko, Tochigi. With aftershocks occurring as he writes this post, he is thankful he and his family are safe but many are not…

Here is his post in part. “…ran the seven hundred yards to the primary school, the children were already in the middle of the...the house shakes again as I write...play ground, the teachers herding them to safety. The children are crying and... my god that is another earthquake...it's OK, we thought we might need to get the kids out of their beds...that wasn't an after shock, that was another earthquake...the teachers were trying to contact people on their mobiles but there was no service. I can see Canaan and Rohan, they are safe. The ground is still moving like a raft, the teachers tell me parts of the ceiling have fallen in the school but the children and staff are all evacuated accounted for and safe. Rohan's teacher has a son at the pre school with Sean, I tell her I am going there and tell the boys to stay with their teachers. I run.”

Special thanks to Hollis Engly for Euan’s link.