I will be the first to admit that the nuclear situation here in Japan is VERY uncomfortable at this moment. I will also admit that it is very easy to get very worried about a situation if you are far away from it and all you hear are sensationalist media reports, or third-person anecdotes, or even outright rumors. I have seen American news reports of the situation here, and they make me skittish, and they are freaking out my family back in the States.
However, I would like to provide my own account of the situation here, as someone who is actually close to the danger zone. If you want to understand my approximate location, locate the city of Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan on Google Map (or some other map reference). Now find the intersection of Route 6 and Route 125. That is our point of reference. Now zoom out until you see the city of Iwaki to the north, on the Pacific coast. 20-25 miles north of that is the Dai-ichi complex. Total distance from the complex to me-- about 100 miles.
So as you can see, I have a very immediate stake in whatever happens at Dai-ichi.
Therefore, I want my information to be as accurate as possible. Scaremongering and inaccurate reports are a particular hot-button issue with me right now.
So I would like to report on the situation here in Japan, with the information and experience I have as someone who is actually living in the area.
First of all, ambient radiation levels in Tokyo are not particularly high. I saw a geiger counter demonstration yesterday in Tokyo at the office of a geological services company. Levels were around 0.16 microsieverts per hour-- lower than many places in the US. Indoors, the geiger counter showed no measurable radiation. Ambient radiation levels in my city are a little higher, and I am keeping abreast of them by following the readings posted on the web site of a local research organization.
http://rcwww.kek.jp/norm / Right now we are at 0.20 microsiverts per hour-- not bad. There are several organizations in this area that are providing such information.
Second, the State Department is not forcing Americans to evacuate Tokyo or Japan. The State Department has issued an advisory against travel to the main disaster areas (which is perfectly normal, since unless you can be part of relief efforts or have family up there, you'd probably only be getting in the way). The State Department has also issued an advisory to Americans living within 50 miles of Fukushima Dai-ichi to either evacuate, or stay indoors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuJCNPTy1sw If you are in a pinch and have to leave Japan without the ability to get a regular plane ticket, it is my understanding that the US Embassy can probably set you up with some travel arrangements to leave Japan-- they have done this earlier. But you probably have to travel on their terms.
http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-ward... Third, Tokyo tap water is considered safe to drink now. My geological services company confirms this, local news reports confirm this, and the US Embassy confirms this
http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20110325... The brief spike was likely the result of rain brought in from the direction of the Dai-ichi complex. So the readings could possibly go up again if the wind switches around from the north and it rains again.
Today in the Tsuchiura area, it is chilly and partly sunny, with winds from the south (not from the nuclear complex).
The nuclear situation is still very much a concern with me. But right now, my more immediate concern is about aftershocks, which have been quite strong and nerve-wracking at times. But they seem to be decreasing in intensity and frequency. I hope that they continue this trend. I also hope that the nuclear power plant problems can be resolved as soon as possible, and that the survivors of this tragedy can quickly get back to normal lives.
