MissPixieStix wrote:
The photos are devastating.   What a thing to endure.  Crackles I hope your family and friends are ok.
Thanks Pixie.  The real worry was a good friend of my mom's, who's family is from Sendai, where the tsunami hit.  Thankfully, she's heard back from them, and everyone is ok. 

This earthquake has really brought home to me how important it is to be prepared.  I'm in Vancouver, which is in the ring of fire.  We don't get many quakes here so most people aren't very prepared, including myself.  I think I'll review all the quake safety stuff, and I encourage others in quake zones to do the same.