With the marking of a year since the pandemic started affecting the US, another anniversary nearly slipped by unnoticed, but today was the tenth anniversary of the end of a nearly 48 hour journey I took from Tokyo to Albany NY because my trip was interrupted by the 9.0 Tohoku earthquake (which caused such devastation further north including to the Fukushima Nuclear facility).
The earthquake hit Narita as we - at the end of our taxi - were turning onto the runway to depart. Some time later we were allowed to use our phones again. At the time I had a Blackberry which - unlike many of the phones of my fellow passengers - was able to get a signal. This is how I reported the trip live on Twitter (all times are Eastern I think)
Mar 10, 2011 6:35 PM
Sayonara Japan, it's been fun in parts. Time for the long, long day of travel home!
Mar 10, 2011 11:09 PM
"Flowers were the very first thing we needed. Before bread. And long before words." Savoring every word! Anne Michaels-The Winter Vault
Mar 11, 2011 12:57 AM
Sitting on the runway getting shaken by an earthquake - japan is seeing me off in style. Lots of aftershocks.
Mar 11, 2011 1:22 AM
Another earthquake. The control tower workers have left the tower. We're going nowhere!
Mar 11, 2011 1:32 AM
Wow it was a 7.9! Now I'm thinking how close to sea level we are!
Mar 11, 2011 1:55 AM
Yes folks it turns out it was an 8.8 Kind of doubt I'm getting home today!
Mar 11, 2011 2:01 AM
We're still in the plane at the end of the runway. All airport buildings have been evacuated.
Mar 11, 2011 2:17 AM
Another aftershock. No idea when we'll move but I suspect it will be back to the terminal when we do.
Mar 11, 2011 2:26 AM
It was a little scary when it hit - a few things go through your mind when the plane starts shaking violently. Earthquake not so much.
Mar 11, 2011 3:06 AM
Apparently control tower reopened. Terminal still closed and now its raining. Stuck on a plane not seeming so bad!
Mar 11, 2011 3:28 AM
Aftershocks still shaking the plane. Happy to be safe but I really want to go home now!
Mar 11, 2011 3:33 AM
Another earthquake warning. All told to sit and buckle in. Yikes.
Mar 11, 2011 3:59 AM
Going to be "deplaned" and taken to a "safe location" no indication when I might be able to leave Japan.
Mar 11, 2011 4:34 AM
4 hrs after scheduled departure we are slowly approaching the airport bldgs again. A minor inconvenience compared with nearby events
Mar 11, 2011 4:39 AM
Looks like we now sit on the plane for several more hours!
Mar 11, 2011 5:37 AM
We've had dinner on the plane while I watched them unload the luggage and cargo and then reload the bags. Tragedy making way to comedy
Mar 11, 2011 5:55 AM
Now the cargo is being reloaded. No info from crew.
Mar 11, 2011 6:11 AM
Flight is uncancelled hopefully leaving soon. Batteries almost dead. Thanks for the love.
Mar 11, 2011 6:36 AM
Pushing back to try again!
Mar 11, 2011 8:07 PM
Safely to Detroit. Home tomorrow.
Mar 12, 2011 4:00 PM
Just got home!
I remember we heard about the earthquake and realised you were leaving Japan so I emailed you and found to my surprise that I was able to be in touch from my study with you on the aircraft. It was then all quite surreal but of course reassuring.
ReplyDeleteYes - Exile #2 at home and asleep was less fortunate when it came to working out in the morning what had happened from the tenuous thread of messages that Facebook chose to show her - oops.
DeleteWhen I saw the anniversary show up on Wikipedia, I remembered you telling us all at work what it was like. That Twitter log brought it all back. Thankfully you made it back safely!
ReplyDeleteThanks - of course in the end it was a minor inconvenience for me, but it has certainly made me feel a connection to all those who were more severely affected.
DeleteWow! Can't believe this was 10 years ago. Thank goodness you got home safely xx
ReplyDeleteNever been so happy to go to bed for an unscheduled night in Detroit!
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