1 00:00:00,730 --> 00:00:04,579 March 11 th 2011 . I know we probably 2 00:00:04,590 --> 00:00:06,590 remember it like yesterday . Our 3 00:00:06,599 --> 00:00:09,199 daughter was now about 1.5 . At this 4 00:00:09,210 --> 00:00:13,210 time , I was at work in the office , a 5 00:00:13,270 --> 00:00:17,020 beautiful sunny Friday afternoon . We 6 00:00:17,030 --> 00:00:19,760 had just finished a week long exercise 7 00:00:19,770 --> 00:00:22,250 and we were looking to get on with our 8 00:00:22,260 --> 00:00:24,229 weekend . And that's when the 9 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,700 earthquake happened . I had just come 10 00:00:26,709 --> 00:00:29,139 home . My daughter was upstairs , I 11 00:00:29,149 --> 00:00:31,350 went upstairs to get her from her nap 12 00:00:31,389 --> 00:00:34,209 and went outside because I realized 13 00:00:34,220 --> 00:00:37,130 that this was more than just a brief 14 00:00:37,139 --> 00:00:39,195 earthquake . This was something much 15 00:00:39,195 --> 00:00:41,139 stronger and then we couldn't have 16 00:00:41,139 --> 00:00:43,472 possibly predicted what would come next . 17 00:00:43,472 --> 00:00:45,540 And that was the tsunami just some 18 00:00:45,549 --> 00:00:49,419 hours later . And the hard part was 19 00:00:49,430 --> 00:00:52,250 that while we were looking through all 20 00:00:52,259 --> 00:00:54,148 this , I couldn't reach my family 21 00:00:54,150 --> 00:00:56,520 because all the phone lines were down . 22 00:00:56,919 --> 00:00:59,030 When I saw the reactor explode on the 23 00:00:59,030 --> 00:01:01,369 news , I felt a huge weight of 24 00:01:01,380 --> 00:01:04,169 uncertainty come down on my shoulders 25 00:01:04,180 --> 00:01:07,849 because at that time , I wasn't sure 26 00:01:07,860 --> 00:01:09,860 about the safety of my family going 27 00:01:09,860 --> 00:01:11,860 forward yet I still had a job to do 28 00:01:13,459 --> 00:01:16,470 despite all the efforts of trying to 29 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:18,424 inform the community and many were 30 00:01:18,424 --> 00:01:20,660 working very hard to let us know that 31 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,300 things were ok , Kim . And I finally 32 00:01:23,309 --> 00:01:26,220 made a very hard decision that it was 33 00:01:26,410 --> 00:01:28,632 the best thing for our family , for our 34 00:01:28,632 --> 00:01:31,930 daughter to go ahead and depart the 35 00:01:31,940 --> 00:01:34,720 area . When we decided to leave . It 36 00:01:34,730 --> 00:01:37,459 was hard . I didn't know when I would 37 00:01:37,470 --> 00:01:39,526 see my husband again . I didn't know 38 00:01:39,526 --> 00:01:41,526 how long I was going to be gone . I 39 00:01:41,526 --> 00:01:44,040 didn't know what to pack . Um , I 40 00:01:44,050 --> 00:01:46,272 decided to go to my parents house but I 41 00:01:46,272 --> 00:01:48,620 didn't know how long I could stay there 42 00:01:48,790 --> 00:01:50,957 or how long I would have to stay there 43 00:01:50,957 --> 00:01:53,012 or if we get to come back to Japan , 44 00:01:53,012 --> 00:01:55,629 which was our home . It is 45 00:01:55,639 --> 00:01:59,550 unpredictable and the uncertainty that 46 00:01:59,559 --> 00:02:01,449 events like this bring 47 00:02:02,819 --> 00:02:06,660 preparedness is the best way to 48 00:02:06,669 --> 00:02:08,990 help offset that uncertainty and the 49 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,110 stress that comes down on the family 50 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,759 who ultimately pays the price that 51 00:02:14,770 --> 00:02:17,300 stress can be avoided through proper 52 00:02:17,309 --> 00:02:21,029 preparation . I had to grab our 53 00:02:21,039 --> 00:02:23,869 daughter and our dog and 54 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,029 leave in tears in the parking lot , 55 00:02:27,070 --> 00:02:29,330 leaving my husband behind , not knowing 56 00:02:29,339 --> 00:02:31,283 if I had the right paperwork , not 57 00:02:31,283 --> 00:02:33,289 knowing if I'd come back and I 58 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:35,979 thankfully it worked out , but I wish 59 00:02:35,990 --> 00:02:38,212 I'd been more prepared because it would 60 00:02:38,212 --> 00:02:40,268 have helped with that stress level . 61 00:02:40,268 --> 00:02:43,050 And that feeling of being scared . This 62 00:02:43,059 --> 00:02:45,059 is the program I wish we'd had back 63 00:02:45,059 --> 00:02:47,699 then . I'm so glad they have it now and 64 00:02:47,710 --> 00:02:49,821 I think every family should feel that 65 00:02:49,821 --> 00:02:49,500 way