Japan's Mega Quake Advisory

 How serious is this?  Is Japan going to sink into the sea in the next week or so?  Should I follow what everyone else is doing and buy liters of water and miles of toilet paper and what is it with toilet paper and disasters?

These are the questions that have been plaguing me since the earthquake on Thursday.

There was another earthquake in Kanagawa on Friday.  Is this the forerunner of a mega-quake, an M8 or 9!?

I've been watching a lot of videos, some from mainstream media, some from YouTubers who live in Japan or who (according to their bio) are scientists, I've also read a lot and there seems to be a general consensus that the Nankai Trough is restless, that there is a possibility of a large earthquake and tsunami. 

Scientists are working from historical data, and data from different machines, I read a bit about this but it went over my head. 

Historically, there have been many major earthquakes along the Nankai Trough, which runs along the Pacific Coast from Tokyo to southern Kyushu.

In 1707 all segments of the Nankai Trough ruptured at once. A possible M8 earthquake (I don't know how they can state the magnitude from so long ago!), this might have triggered the last eruption of Mt Fuji. In 1854 there were two earthquakes, just a day apart. The last major earthquakes were in 1944 and 1946.

Does this mean we are in for a big one?  I don't think anyone really knows.  One report I watched said that there was a 0.05% chance of a big earthquake, I actually asked the kids if I had understood that right, as that is less than 1%.  It's worrying that the Prime Minister canceled his trip for this weekend, should something be read into that?

The big question for me is what does it mean to my life? Will all this speculation change anything? Of course not, it's still too hot and I still have a lot to do! It's a diversion. Am I worried, yes but I know that sitting worrying about something I can't change isn't going to help. 

So I'll prepare, make sure we have water, non-perishable food on hand, a first aid kit, flashlights, etc. Talk to the kids about where to meet up if we have to evacuate the house.  Figure out what to do with the cats, that is the big problem. We have enough cat carriers but how to get a cat in if they are panicking! Just trying to get them in for a trip to the vet is a struggle.

Where we live now is not near the coast or a river so tsunamis aren't a problem. Also, the ground here seems to be hard and doesn't move so much. Where we are moving to might be a bit scarier because it's at the foot of a mountain range and the possibility of a landslide is big.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to go to the other house. There were a few cracks on the outside walls, I hope they haven't got any bigger and I want to check the tree that is right next to the house. The roots aren't deep and I'm worried it might fall over!

Because I need something cute

Mama in a box she found

By the way, if anybody has any idea about the connection between toilet paper and disasters let me know.