# Prepping / Emergency Preparedness > General Emergency Preparedness >  Japanese Tsunami-Two years later and still lessons to learn

## endurance

I just watched one of the more powerful videos of the tsunami today, looking back after two years and recalling my fear of losing a couple that is very close to my wife and I (they were in Tokyo, so never in any real danger, but it took some time to sort that all out).

http://youtu.be/8vZR0Rq1Rfw

Things I take away from this:

At the end of the video, in the last minute or so, the camera operator shows some people leaving their homes at the last possible second.  

1) How did they miss the warning that the others had?  How many hours a day am I that out of touch that I might not know there's an imminent threat?  How can I reduce that?
2) How many people lack the very basic fitness to just run 50 or 100 yards to save their lives?  How much risk would you put yourself into trying to save one of those people if they were a stranger?  How much if it was a loved one?  How well have you looked after loved ones to be certain they'd be able to escape the situation on their own?
3) Assuming you have zero warning and truly have to run for your life, unable to grab anything, would you survive in the weather outside right now?  For how long?  How would you secure the things you need to survive the next 24 hours?  The next two weeks?  How would you start over if everything you used to own was lost?
4) Would you be willing to walk away from all your stuff if you had to?  How much would the doubt in your mind interfere with your best decision making?  How much would it interfere with your loved one's decision making and could you do more to help them understand the possible urgency better?
5) What things do you have in place today to help you rebuild after such a disaster?  Have you taken steps to create psychological resiliency in your life?  Have you taken steps to have greater physical resiliency?  What more could you do?

Just a few things that I was thinking about and I'd love to hear some thoughts.  I have a few ideas, but mostly I'm trying to think about this for myself and think about the what if's for me and my family.

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