Quick Zama Update

For those of you who aren't as familiar with Japan, here's a map that shows where the earthquake occurred, the location of Tokyo and the military installations in relation to it.

My parents are on that little dot that that is labeled "Naval Air Facility Atsugi/Camp Zama". The bases are within a 15 minute drive of each other and we shared a high school (my alma mater ZAHS).

I talked to my parents and they're still doing fine and hanging in there. They've experienced sporadic shortages of power and water on base, as well as running out of gas (but more was supposed to be delivered today).  There have been minor food shortages in the commissary (water keeps flying off the shelves) but my parents have enough food squirreled away to last at least a year. Maybe two. And I swear my mom bought all of it BEFORE they even experienced the earthquake, just due to her inability to resist a good sale and coupons.

Radiation levels are being monitored on a regular basis and right now, are equivalent to a chest x-ray and safe to be exposed to.

I'm not going to lie, fallout from the Fukushima nuclear plant is my biggest concern for my parenets right now.

Perhaps this is the nudge needed for an early retirement in Hawaii?