Although the mainstream media and government officials continue to downplay potential dangers to our country, a number of experts are beginning to come out with warnings that say otherwise.
The situation in Japan seems to be getting worse by the minute. News is now coming across the wires that a second nuclear reactor may now be in jeopardy of melting down. The Japanese government has setup a so called “danger zone” of around 26 miles and began distributing Iodide pills to the public. While they continue to claim that the public is in no danger, this morning they seemed to contradict themselves by telling the public to put their clothing in plastic bags before entering their homes.
Closer to home, The California Department of Public Health is keeping a close eye on the situation. This morning they told the media that they have systems in place to monitor air, water, and the food supply for possible contamination. The state Department of Health in Washington also released a statement this morning that said, they are “conducting ongoing air monitoring for radiation to see if the nuclear plant incident in Japan has affected radiation levels in Washington.”
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission sent out two of its top experts to Japan to monitor the situation.
So should Americans worry about possible nuclear fallout reaching the west coast?
Opinions seem to be all over the board on this one. The government continues to say that the public is not in danger, but a growing number of experts are suggesting that a total reactor meltdown would definitely affect the west coast.
Current Satellite Imagery of the Jet Stream as of 2:30 p.m. PST March 13th 2011
As you can see from the above graphics, the jet stream would clearly blow some of the radioactive cloud across the pacific towards the West Coast. What that means for us really depends on how much radioactive material is released into the environment.
With more reactors in danger of melting down, I think the public has a right to know what could happen during a worst case scenario. The government needs to get out of the P.R. game and stop worrying about the future of the nuclear industry. This should be a huge wake-up call to the world.
UPDATE: 3:00p.m. 3-13-2011
The French government is warning its citizens in Tokyo to get out now…
Fukushima reactor number three is now in danger of meltdown which could make the Tsunami that hit Japan look like Childs play. The reason this is so concerning is that the reactor doesn’t run on uranium, it runs on a mixed uranium plutonium fuel. This MOX fuel is far more dangerous, and a release of plutonium into the environment is an extremely serious matter.
UPDATE: 7:35 p.m. 3-13-2011
There are reports of white smoke coming from the #3 Fukushima reactor. If this proves to be true this could be very bad news as mentioned right above.
UPDATE: 9:15p.m. PST 3-13-2011
Nuclear Expert Paul Carroll just told FOX news that the West Coast definitely has something to worry about. He started to talk about why the MOX in reactor 3 is so concerning but was cut off by FOX.
Paul Carroll worked at U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His principle area of knowledge is Nuclear Weapons
UPDATE: 9:21p.m. PST 3-13-2011 The New York Times is reporting that the Pentagon will soon announce that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan passed through a radioactive cloud while in route to Japan. This confirms the news of radioactive materials blowing west towards the United States. Officials are saying that the crew was exposed to over a month’s worth of radiation in under an hour.
The report also says that American helicopters that were flying 60 miles north were returning fully coated with particulate radiation. The helicopters had to be decontaminated and washed.
UPDATE: 9:41p.m. PST 3-13-2011 – Video of Major Explosion #3 Fukushima reactor
UPDATE: 10:24p.m. PST 3-13-2011
US Navy confirms that 17 airman are being treated for radiation poisoning after flying through a radioactive plume. Cmdr. Jeff A. Davis, a spokesman for the American Seventh Fleet in Japan also confirmed the USS Regan’s on-board sensors indicated that the carrier had also been exposed to radiation.
The Commander said that the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan and other U.S. Seventh Fleet ships have moved downwind and are currently assessing the situation.
UPDATE: 11:48p.m. PST 3-13-2011
The Jiji news agency is reporting that the Fukushima plant No.2 is now having major problems keeping its reactor cool. Officials say that they may release hydrogen from the Fukushima Daiichi No. 2 reactor building.
UPDATE: 12:24a.m. PST 3-14-2011
TEPCO has confirmed that Fukushima plant No.2 has lost all of its coolant. An explosion is very likely.
UPDATE: 8:24a.m. PST 3-14-2011
Japanese Government finally admits that all three reactors are likely melting down. TEPCO admits that fuel rods in Reactor 2 may be fully exposed. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano confirms “Although we cannot directly check it, it’s highly likely happening.”
UPDATE: 8:35a.m. PST 3-14-2011
France, Germany and British government warns citizens and government workers to get out of Tokyo. Despite the danger the U.S. Government is still sending our military right into harm’s way.
UPDATE: 8:55a.m. PST 3-14-2011
Hundreds of thousands of Iodide Tablets being rushed to Japan to combat radiation exposure.
UPDATE: 11:41a.m. PST 3-14-2011
Aerial Images showing the damage at the reactors.
UPDATE: 9:45p.m. PST 3-14-2011
- Third explosion at Japanese nuclear plant the Japanese government is warning of a massive radioactive leak.
- Elevated radiation Levels being reported in Tokyo
- Tokyo Stock Market Takes major hit, Main index down 14.4%
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said radiation released….. told reporters “Now we are talking about levels that can damage human health.”
UPDATE: 10:41p.m. PST 3-14-2011
FOX, CNN & other news networks are pulling out of Sendai and heading north because of the radiation dangers.
UPDATE: 6:41 a.m. PST 3-15-2011
Another aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington has detected high levels of radiation. The carrier was docked in Yokosuka, about 175 miles from the nuclear plant in Okuma.
UPDATE: 8:41 a.m. PST 3-15-2011
Hundreds of thousands of Japanese residents ordered to seal themselves indoors after radiation levels soar through the roof.
UPDATE: 12:26 p.m. PST 3-15-2011
Mainstream Media CNN finally admits that it’s possible that the radiation in Japan could reach the United States.
UPDATE: 1:26 p.m. PST 3-15-2011
As fears of the fallout reaching America intensify; stores across the United States are selling out of Potassium Iodide tablets and supplements. Almost every brand on Amazon is sold out and manufacturers are having a hard time keeping up with the demand.
UPDATE: 1:56 p.m. PST 3-15-2011
- Walgreen’s pharmacist tells us that they have no more Potassium Iodide because the government has seized all Potassium Iodide supplies.
UPDATE: 8:39 p.m. PST 3-15-2011
- 70 percent of the fuel rods at one of the plants reactors have experienced extensive damage
- Institute for Science and International Security says crisis is nearing a worst case scenario with extensive health and environmental consequences
UPDATE: 9:45 p.m. PST 3-15-2011
France asks Air France to provide airplanes to evacuate French Nationals as they urge French citizens to leave the country.
UPDATE: 11:35 p.m. PST 3-15-2011
EPA announces that they are sending more electronic radiation monitors to the west coast. They refused to say how many or where they would be deployed.
UPDATE: 10:42 a.m. PST 3-16-2011
- IAEA confirms that the Fuel rods in reactors 4, 5, and 6 are exposed and say that at least four reactors have core damage.
- FDA officials are in Japan testing food after fears of radioactive food imports rise.
- U.S. military sending unmanned Global Hawk spy aircraft over Fukushima to find out what’s really happening at the plant.
UPDATE: 11:38 a.m. PST 3-16-2011
- French minister says the Japanese Government has clearly lost control of the situation and is lying about the dangers.
UPDATE: 12:30 a.m. PST 3-16-2011
Dr. Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist told reporters this morning that “We’re very close now to the point of no return” he went on to say that we could be talking about “something beyond Chernobyl”
As crews continue to pull out of the area the U.S. government is considering sending in a team if nuclear and military experts who are trained to respond to nuclear emergencies.
UPDATE: 6:07 p.m. PST 3-16-2011
China, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong increasing observation for nuclear fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Projected path of Radiation Fallout Map (courtesy of The Australian)
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UPDATE: 8:29 p.m. PST 3-16-2011
UN Forecast show the radioactive plume now being blown across the Pacific Ocean and could hit the west coast on Friday.
UPDATE: 10:00 a.m. PST 3-17-2011
Swedish researcher Lars-Erik De Geer of the Swedish Defense Research Institute confirms that radioactive particles from Japan are blowing east towards North America and will reach the West Coast by Friday.
UPDATE: 11:00 a.m. PST 3-17-2011
UPDATE: 10:10 p.m. PST 3-17-2011
- Defense Ministry spokesman Ippo Mayama says that the Japanese military has called of any further helicopter water drops. Would not say why they stopped the mission
- CNN reporting that radiation levels at the Fukushima nuclear plant are at their highest levels yet.
UPDATE: 10:50 p.m. PST 3-17-2011
TEPCO says current radiation levels outside the Fukushima plant are 20 millisieverts per hour. To put these numbers in to perspective, the typical American is exposed to about 3 millisieverts a year.
UPDATE: 9:30 a.m. PST 3-18-2011
- U.N Diplomat says first of the nuclear fallout has hit the west coast.
UPDATE: 10:30 a.m. PST 3-18-2011
Officials consider burying reactors under concrete as head of TEPCO breaks down in tears and admits that radiation coming from the over-heating reactors and fuel rods was enough to kill some citizens
UPDATE: 10:39 p.m. PST 3-22-2011
- UCLA Berkley reporting that they have detected small amounts of radiation in the rainwater.
- The Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency measured a slight uptick in radioactive Iodine-131 levels on Saturday and said the levels had got slightly higher on Monday.
- EPA reporting that small amounts of radiation have been detected in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.
- Tokyo Water Bureau officials reporting that radioactive iodine levels in city tap water are double the recommended limit for infants.
- EPA pulls 8 monitors say’s that they are “under Review” after “abnormal readings” show a spike in radiation levels for West Coast?
UPDATE: 4:49 p.m. PST 3-23-2011
3-26-2011 9:30 P.M.
Reuters reporting radiation at the No. 2 nuclear plant is now 10 million times normal levels……. workers evacuated
3-28-2011 4:40 P.M.
4-12-2011 4:40 P.M.
What really caused the earth to shake?
If this stuff stays airborn in the jet stream, what’s to keep it from condensing over the US in the form of rainfall-out?
This is some scary stuff Just packed my Bug out bag, threw my tent in the back of my truck along with a couple cases of water and food and getting ready to head south if things start to get bad out here.
Good thing I made my evacuation plans after reading your article a couple months ago.
Right there with you on that one Jow. I got all my emergency suplies packed and ready to go.
Thanks to you guys at off grid for providing all the updates I have learned more from reading your post than anything I’ve seen from CNN or Fox. I think it’s a downright shame that no one is taking this more seriously. The news networks should be ashamed of themseleves.
I hope everyone is stocked up and prepared for whats to come.
If it really reaches US, that would be the worst human tragedy since Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
From 1986 Chernobyl disaster experience:
In event of US West Coast nuclear contamination we will be dealing with cesium 137 and strontium
Thes elements are collected in the dust
Figting against the radiation is fighting against the dust
Outdoors:
wear closed shoes
wear long pants
DO NOT use dust blowing equipment!!! Use water to hose down the dust instead
do not buy fruits and veggies fresh of the field;
avoid raw milk.
There are slim chances that radioactive iodine will pose dangerunless it makes to the US in less the 4 days
Japans problems are just starting. Expect massive radiation release from at least 2 reactors. No coolant is a guarantee meltdown with the Uranium and Plutonium especially dangerous. 1 grain of Plutonium is enough to cause cancer and death. This is by far the worst condemnation of fail safe systems on Nuclear Power Plants. ” They are like children playing in the woods.” Albert Einstein
This is horrible. They shouldnt be keeping info from us when its going to effect us!
And Im wondering when exactly people should start taking the iodine in the us? Im in California and I cant seem to find a good time line anywhere.
Any suggestions?
there are several multivitamins with iodine in them we are taking 3 a day along with RX potassium. Its potassium iodide which protects from thyroid cancer after exposure. The thyroid craves potassium and iodine which is why if you don’t saturate it with the good stuff it absorbs radioactive materials. To all out there good luck where ever you are.
Nuclear fallout reaching the west coast is a serious issue and it should be fully monitored. The public has all the right to be informed the truth about it. Any downplay of the risk is criminal.
found the world is too small when the natural disaster happened,now,who’s the people they need much more care than worry. Good luck to you people in Japan.
from China
How about interviewing Paul Carrell?
What you need to take is potassium IODIDE not Iodine!
You can get this from raw seaweed as well as in pill form.
Also FES Yarrow special Formula was formulated to combat the effects of radiation after Chernobyl …google FES to find a retailer near you
yes everyone needs to know the truth, its a pity the scientific fraternity aren’t a bit more forthcoming with their info on the seriousness of a meltdown.what are the chances of fallout globally? what precautions should be taken to avoid exposure to radiation and what can the general public do to avoid the uptake of radioactive iodine from fallout, which areas are likely to be hit? we live in anglesey, an area in wales that was badly hit by the fallout from chernobyl, funnily enough we were not told the dangers then either and considering we live very close to the wylfa nuclear power station, less than twelve miles, we had no idea that KI pottasium iodide could be taken to prevent the uptake of radioactive iodine.when the fallout from chernobyl came down the first we knew of it was seeing the local doctors children getting into their car in radiation suits.
I always look at these things as if I was about to place a bet. By this time next week it will be old news and nothing major will have happened, it will be contained. Therefore your bet is $1000 on a nuclear disaster or no nuclear disaster, care to place a wager?
here is the link to the CDC fact sheet on KI: http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp
Radioactive fallout is not a myth. UK Guardian reporters Terry Macalister and Helen Carter (2009) reported that nearly 370 farms in Britain are still restricted in the way they use land and rear sheep because of radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident 23 years ago
The Ukraine explosion and fire was the biggest nuclear accident ever. In its aftermath 237 people suffered from acute radiation sickness, of whom 31 died within the first three months. Accurate statistics on the wider health problems have been hard to ascertain because the Soviet authorities of the time refused to provide details.
More than 130,000 people were resettled from the immediate area and experts say there should be no farming there for at least 200 years. The Food Standards Agency said the release of radiocaesium-137 in upland areas of Britain is still able to pass easily from soil to grass and accumulate in sheep.
think thats bad? how bout the food chain of fish from alaska to baja…….im not buyin any canned fish packed after march 10 of 2011…i could go on and on ….theres no potasium iodine in any northern calif stores either….the rush is on….
my mommy said we nuked japan in 1945 and were in the way of the wind then….so we all just gotta ride this out…hell or high water
iodide im sorry..just a lil upset at the moment…why??? who knows