Very close to tears? You are a stronger man than I am, since I shed some tears simply relaying your story to my wife. My heart goes out to you and your family. Being an ocean away and lacking any real knowledge of Japanese geography, I cannot offer any advice re exit plans or possible evacuation routes. I can only say that if you feel the situation is dire and gettign worse--which I believe, and it seems you do, too--then take whatever precautions you can to keep you and your family safe. You can always come back to your home in Sendai, if you so choose, when there is more clarity to the situation, and the meltdown has run its course. I wish you luck in whatever decision you make.

Mr.IGH, I take your periodic bike-related jibes with a grain of salt, and sometimes find them amusing. But in this case, there is true imminent danger on top of monumental catastrophe. Lorne and others in the affected areas are victims of much, much more than just poor reporting, and the threat of nuclear meltdown is most certainly potentially deadly. I find your comments deriding his fear out of line and rather insensitive. I wish you would just leave this topic alone if you cannot be more helpful or sympathetic.