Worry And Relief At Metro Airport
ROMULUS (WWJ) - It's a tense day for many in Metro Detroit who have loved ones in Japan, hit Thursday night with a massive earthquake and tsunami.
Friday, WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting stopped by Detroit Metro Airport as passengers from a flight from Japan exited the International Arrivals Check-in.
Watching news coverage of the quake devastation on terminal monitors was Yuri Kochi of Ann Arbor. She was awaiting the arrival of her friend's family member, but shared with WWJ her reaction upon hearing news of the disaster.
"I called Tokyo immediately, but I could not connect... I just emailed to my daughter and my sister, and my sister responded (to) me quickly," Kochi.
Kochi said her sister couldn't get home from work because they trains weren't running. She said her aunt live not too far from the epicenter of the quake, but she's been assured that everyone is fine.
Herb Twining had just landed on a flight from Guam that had connected through Nagoya. He was already in the air when the quake shook Japan, but his wife had taken a later flight.
"She was on the tarmac, I believe, ready to take off," he said, adding that he was relieved to hear her flight did take off and she's okay.
The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake unleashed a 23-foot tsunami and was followed by more than 80 aftershocks greater than magnitude-5. CBS News is reporting that the death toll could exceed 1,000. The defense ministry said 1,800 houses had been destroyed. - Complete Japan quake coverage at this link -
