TikTokerka opowiada, jak przeżyła trzęsienie ziemi i tsunami w Japonii
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WORDS BYLINE: Vanessa Papas
A young TikToker has shared how she survived The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
On 11 March 2011, the world watched in horror as Japan was struck by one of the most devastating natural disasters in its recorded history.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 and the tsunami it triggered wreaked havoc on the northeastern coast. The combined forces of these natural events destroyed over 450,000 homes and took the lives of 18,000 people.
Alexis Dimaya was just seven years old when the earthquake struck.
"I was born in Honolulu and my family moved to Japan in 2008 for my dad's job. He was a pilot while my mum worked as a preschool teacher," explained Alexis.
"On the morning of 11 March 2011, my five-year-old brother, three-year-old sister, and I were at a kimono class when we suddenly felt the ground shake and the alarms sounded."
Alexis and her siblings were separated from their mum, who was on the other side of the room. The instructors quickly told everyone to get under the tables.
"The building started to rattle, and things started falling off the walls," Alexis remembered. "I didn't know where my mum was and couldn't see her."
The main earthquake lasted about six minutes before everyone was told to evacuate the building and return home. Fortunately, Alexis and her siblings were unhurt, but their ordeal was far from over.
The earthquake had knocked out power, rendering elevators and escalators inoperable.
The Dimaya family lived in a high-rise building and had to climb multiple flights of stairs to reach their condo. Their mum, alone with three young children, did her best to stay calm but was worried about her husband's safety - he was in the air when the quake struck.
"We sought refuge in the upstairs flat, owned by one of my dad’s colleagues, hoping the tsunami would not reach us from up there. Just when we started to catch our breath, another round of earthquakes struck. The aftershocks were almost as bad as the first earthquake," Alexis said.
“For hours we just huddled together in the apartment, holding on to each other, praying that the building wouldn’t collapse.”
"We huddled together in the apartment for hours, just holding on to each other, praying the building would hold up."
The rest of the world watched with horror as the tsunami struck. Waves reached up to 133 feet in some areas and entire communities were destroyed within seconds.
For Alexis and her family, this traumatic incident has remained a part of their lives forever.
"Only a few months later, we had to make a hard choice to leave Japan because of fears regarding radiation,” Alexis remembered.
"My parents were concerned about our future wellbeing after hearing that many children in our neighbourhood were falling ill. They didn’t want to gamble with our health so they chose it was better for us to begin anew somewhere else that was safe. I wanted to stay in Japan because I loved their culture and food but at the same time I was happy since I was back home again in Hawaii."
"My parents were really worried about the long-term effects, especially after hearing that many children in the area were getting sick. They didn’t want to take any chances with our health, so they decided it was best for us to start fresh somewhere safer. I wanted to stay in Japan because I loved the culture and food but was also so glad to be back in Hawaii."
Although Alexis battled anxiety around small, dark spaces and loud sirens for a long time, she believes coming out of this tragedy made her a stronger person.
"It taught me a lot about the importance of family and community – and of being there for each other in times of need. It also pushed me to become independent. Going through that made me grow up fast and, in a way, made me less afraid of death. Now, I take chances and just go for it because you never know what will happen. I've learned to face my fears head-on, no matter what," she concluded.
Featuring: Alexis Dimaya
When: 02 Sep 2024
Credit: Alexis Dimaya/Cover Images
**EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR SUPPLIER.**
2024-09-02
Cover Images/East News
Cover Images
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