The catastrophe unfolding in Japan stems not merely from the record-breaking earthquake itself, but from the tsunami that followed in its wake. The disaster has claimed possibly 10,000 lives or left people swept away, with entire regions stripped of homes, buildings, schools and infrastructure. Six damaged nuclear reactors in various stages of destruction now spew radiation across the affected areas. This ongoing Japanese catastrophe transcends what the American translation of the word typically conveys. For us, imagining such a catastrophe seems unthinkable and impossible. We might all say it can’t happen here. Yet it can happen here, though it might be highly unlikely. Those of us living on the coast maintain a connection to the sea, and from time to time the sea behaves in unexpected ways when the ocean floor buckles. Should the ocean floor buckle 200 miles offshore in the Atlantic, an unstoppable wave would reach us here in Chelsea just as it did the coast of North Japan. Everything would be swept away, including the LNG tanks, and we would find ourselves where the Japanese are now—attempting to rebuild from devastation. Japan stands as a strong ally of America today. Our nations share much in common. We grieve for their suffering. Those able to contribute should send a small donation to the American Red Cross, which will forward it to Japan. This represents the right course of action.
The Japanese Tsunami
