Japan’s Meteorological Agency says it is raining and snowing in areas affected by the powerful earthquake that struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture on Monday.
Weather authorities say a front and low pressure system are causing rain and snow to fall in places hit by the magnitude 7.5 quake, including areas in Aomori Prefecture and southern Hokkaido.
Caution is being advised, as the quake has caused soil to loosen in places.
Forecasters say a winter pressure pattern may bring heavy snow to some areas on Thursday night and Friday.
People are being advised to remain vigilant, as there could be traffic disruptions. The authorities note that snow could fall from rooftops, and that avalanches, lightning strikes, wind gusts and tornadoes could occur. They add that snow could accumulate on power lines and cause blackouts.
The Meteorological Agency issued an “Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory” after the massive quake. It is urging residents to prepare for a possible mega quake.
The agency says there is a relatively high possibility that a strong tremor could occur along the Japan Trench and the Chishima Trench off Hokkaido.
The advisory covers 182 municipalities in the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Chiba.
The advisory does not mean that a quake is certain to occur, and authorities are not asking people to evacuate in advance. But they are urging residents to prepare emergency bags to make sure that they can evacuate quickly, if they need to do so.
Seismic activity has continued off the eastern coast of Aomori since Monday. A quake with an intensity of 4 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 occurred on Wednesday.
Foreign residents advised on preparing for possible mega quake
Foreign residents in the eastern Japanese prefecture of Ibaraki are being urged to remain vigilant after authorities issued an advisory for a possible mega quake. A powerful jolt struck northern Japan on Monday.
Lak Chankunthy, a Cambodian woman who has lived in Japan for over 10 years, called on Cambodian residents in Ibaraki Town to prepare for a possible quake.
Ibaraki is adjacent to the coastal town of Oarai, which is required to take disaster preparedness measures under the advisory.
Lak spoke to six women who work as technical trainees in the agricultural sector. She advised the women that if a quake occurs at home, they should protect themselves by hiding under a desk or other structure, then move to an evacuation shelter.
She also told them that if tsunami information is issued when they are near the sea, they should immediately evacuate to higher ground.
She recommended that they stockpile food and water, and make sure home furniture is secured.
One of the trainees said she realized how important it is to have proper knowledge of disaster prevention.
Lak said she was glad she could convey the important information. She said she hopes that the women will put it into practice if a major quake occurs.
All elementary and junior high schools have reopened in the northern Japanese city of Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture. The Pacific coast city was hit hardest by Monday’s powerful earthquake.
The quake off the coast brought an intensity of upper 6 to the city, based on the Japanese seismic scale from zero to 7, stronger than any other place in the country.
All elementary, junior high schools in Hachinohe reopen
Most schools that had been closed reopened on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the final two elementary schools to reopen welcomed back their students after their running water supply was fully restored.
Shortly past 7 a.m. with light snow falling, children were seen showing up at Fukiage Elementary School, which has more than 510 students.
One fifth-grader boy said that he was worrying about another possible major quake while at home and he is now looking forward to playing basketball with his friends at school.
Hachinohe is one of the municipalities that remains under a week-long vigilance for a possible subsequent strong earthquake.
The city’s education board is asking school staff to once again make sure that they know the evacuation routes for their children. The board is also asking schools to refrain from outdoor activities until next Monday.
AloJapan.com