A Japanese man has shared his first experience of evacuating during a tsunami alert after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck just Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. The earthquake, which occurred on July 30, triggered tsunami warnings and evacuation orders across coastal areas in Japan, Hawaii, and the US West Coast.
A Japanese man who lives just a 10-minute walk from the ocean posted a video on Instagram showing how the morning unfolded. “Since I live close to the ocean, I always have to be mindful of tsunamis after an earthquake,” Yuu, a travel photographer and content creator, wrote.
Here's how the creator evacuated with his pets:
In the video, the man is seen preparing breakfast when he receives the signal to evacuate. He then immediately puts his cat into his bag and places his pet bird in its carrier, before quickly packing his camera gear and leaving home.
“Through this tsunami warning experience, I realised I need to be much more prepared for disasters,” he wrote.
Also Read: Panic amid Hawaii tourists as cruise ships rush to leave after 8.8 quake: 'We are in the middle of tsunami'
He then rushed to the local middle school, which had been marked as the evacuation point. However, once there, he found that evacuees with animals were not allowed inside. While other residents waited in air-conditioned classrooms, he and others with pets had to remain outside.
Check out the post here:
{{/usCountry}}He then rushed to the local middle school, which had been marked as the evacuation point. However, once there, he found that evacuees with animals were not allowed inside. While other residents waited in air-conditioned classrooms, he and others with pets had to remain outside.
Check out the post here:
{{/usCountry}}Instagram users praised the man’s calm response and quick thinking during the evacuation.
One of the users, Margaret Clayton, commented, “I'm glad you are safe, that's so scary!”.
Also Read: Royal Caribbean passenger shares tense moments during Alaska tsunami alert
Another user, Vicki Dwyer, commented, “How dreadful that the city does not have a safe place for people with animals.”
Many praised the man's focus on getting his pets to safety and shared similar concerns about the lack of access to shelter for animals during emergencies.