State Department Issues Japan Travel Warning March 21, 2011

Travel Warning - Japan (updated March 21)

This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated March 18, 2011, in response to the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy, and other technical experts in the U.S. Government have reviewed the scientific and technical information they have collected from assets in country, as well as what the Government of Japan has disseminated. Consistent with the NRC guidelines that would apply to such a situation in the United States, we are recommending, as a precaution, that U.S. citizens within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuate the area or to take shelter indoors if safe evacuation is not practical.

And our government is now supplying U.S. personnel and their dependents within the effected area with Potassium Iodide as a precautionary measure; I thought government officials were going to be given Ex-RAD?

For more information on Ex-RAD, go here:

www.onconova.com...

or here: www.foxnews.com...

On March 21, 2011, consistent with NRC guidelines that apply to such a situation in the United States, the U.S. Government is making available Potassium Iodide (KI) as a precautionary measure for United States Government personnel and dependents residing within Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Tokyo (Tokyo Capital Region), Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture), and the prefectures of Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Iwate, Miyagi, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizouka, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Yamanashi. The KI should only be consumed after specific instruction from the United States Government. While there is no indication that it will become advisable to take KI, out of an abundance of caution the United States Government is making it available to its personnel and family members to be used only upon direction if a change in circumstances were to warrant. No-one should take KI at this time. In the event of a radiological release, sheltering in place or departing the affected area remain the primary means of protection.

The warning continues with:

There are numerous factors, including weather, wind direction and speed, as well as the exact status of the reactor problem, that affect the risk of the possibility of lower-level radioactive materials reaching greater distances. Previous notification to U.S. citizens to leave areas within 50 miles of the reactors stands. In the event they cannot evacuate that area, they are advised to seek shelter and remain sheltered. For private U.S. citizens seeking information about KI, we advise you to contact your doctor or employer. Should you need further assistance contact the Department of State by emailing [email protected] or calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

and deeper into the warning:

Due to the continuing possibility of strong aftershocks, Japan remains at risk for further tsunamis. Japanese authorities have issued a warning for people to stay away from low-lying coastal areas. If a tsunami alert is issued by Japanese authorities, evacuate immediately to higher ground. Further information about what you can do if a tsunami occurs can be found at the National Weather Service's Tsunami Ready website, and the International Tsunami Information Center's website. Current tsunami alerts can be found at the Japan Meteorological Agency website, and the website of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

To read this travel warning in detail, go here:

japan.usembassy.gov...

reply to post by manta78

Any idea what specifically changed between the March 18 travel warning and the March 21 travel warning?

Originally posted by Arbitrageur
reply to post by manta78

 

Any idea what specifically changed between the March 18 travel warning and the March 21 travel warning?

Good question! I didn't see the 3-18-2011 warning, but this article may answer your question: (it was an expansion of the voluntary evacuation area)

www.wetmtv.com...

Pretty sure TV announced the same travel warning as soon as the wave made airwaves [no pun].

Originally posted by manta78
Good question! I didn't see the 3-18-2011 warning, but this article may answer your question: (it was an expansion of the voluntary evacuation area)

Thanks, but that article says what the 3/18 travel warning changed from the previous travel warning, but I was asking what the 3/21 warning changed from the 3/18 warning? If you don't know that's fine, I was just curious.

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

Originally posted by manta78
Good question! I didn't see the 3-18-2011 warning, but this article may answer your question: (it was an expansion of the voluntary evacuation area)

Thanks, but that article says what the 3/18 travel warning changed from the previous travel warning, but I was asking what the 3/21 warning changed from the 3/18 warning? If you don't know that's fine, I was just curious.

Best guess at this point, is that there was a delay in publishing the data which was a warning released on 3-16 ( probably a short press release) which was published on the state department website as a travel warning 3-18, and then an update (or another short press release release) 3-19 late Friday night, which was published on their website today as a travel warning. (The key item being the expansion of the areas covered from the 3-18 to 3-21 warning)