Submission + - What's an Air-Raid Warning Like in the 21st Century? 2
AppleHoshi writes: Those of us living in Japan found out at a little after six o'clock this morning when our phones went crazy on receipt of an automated alert from the "J-Alert" system. Shortly afterwards, loudspeakers broadcast another alert (there are loudspeakers everywhere in Japan, to warn of earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons).
As normal with any disaster situation in Japan, all of the available television channels immediately switched over to full-coverage mode, with a repetition of what the situation was ("There's a missile heading in the direction of north-central Japan") followed by basic instructions of what to do ("If it comes down in your area, try to extinguish any fires and immediately inform your local police and fire departments").
Shortly before twenty past six we got the news that the missile had over-flown northern Japan and landed in the Pacific, about 1,000km from the coast of Hokkaido. The "all-clear" was broadcast over the local speakers a short while later.
Strange as it may seem, this all had an air of normality about it. Japan gets more than it's fair share of natural disasters, so anyone living here gets plenty of exposure to this same routine (it's just that the reason is usually an earthquake, typhoon or tsunami, rather than a megalomaniac).
As normal with any disaster situation in Japan, all of the available television channels immediately switched over to full-coverage mode, with a repetition of what the situation was ("There's a missile heading in the direction of north-central Japan") followed by basic instructions of what to do ("If it comes down in your area, try to extinguish any fires and immediately inform your local police and fire departments").
Shortly before twenty past six we got the news that the missile had over-flown northern Japan and landed in the Pacific, about 1,000km from the coast of Hokkaido. The "all-clear" was broadcast over the local speakers a short while later.
Strange as it may seem, this all had an air of normality about it. Japan gets more than it's fair share of natural disasters, so anyone living here gets plenty of exposure to this same routine (it's just that the reason is usually an earthquake, typhoon or tsunami, rather than a megalomaniac).
Ka-BOOM!! (Score:2)
Oh, and it's its, not it's.