SURVIVING A NATURAL DISASTER

What happens after a natural disaster strikes, and you survive?

In Japan, rescuers still discover bodies left ten days ago by the 9.0 earthquake, which then ignited a tsunami that destroyed the northeast coast. Police said over 15,000 have been killed by these disasters, with more than 20,000 missing or dead in total.
But some people, miraculously, are still being found. An 80-year-old grandma, Sumi Abe, and her 16-year-old grandson, Jin Abe, were discovered today on the roof of their destroyed house. Until now, Jin Abe had not been able to climb out of the debris to seek help. They were both wrapped in several blankets to keep warm and survived on food from their refrigerator. Jin and Sumi were both taken to a hospital.

“I always believed they were alive," Jin’s father, Akira Abe, said, according to msnbc.com.
Rescuers are still searching for more missing people, hoping they might find some additional miracles in a time of turmoil and grief.

Haitians can empathize with the Japanese. A year after a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, they mourn the ones they lost and celebrate the lives still left.

“We've had an earthquake, hurricane, cholera, but we are still here, and we are still together," said Charlemagne Sintia, according to news.yahoo.com.

With this natural disaster hitting Haiti’s capital Port au Prince, where a third of the country’s population lives, the death toll was over 316,000. Over a million of its residents remain homeless, living in camps, unable to afford homes.

Debris is still being cleared away and the landscape resembles the same as it did after the earthquake, since the reconstruction efforts have yet to begin on the much-needed areas.

Although rescuers are still finding bodies, more than a year after the earthquake, people remain positive.
"God blessed me by taking only one of my cousins that day. Our house collapsed but we have health and life," said Terez Benitot, according to news.yahoo.com.

So for now, Haitians can look at the Japanese and feel their pain, because they know all too well what it is like to be where they are. But they also know when time passes, the wounds will begin to heal.