AP and AI

Mar 17, 7:28 AM EDT
US authorizes American evacuations out of Japan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States has authorized the first evacuations of Americans out of Japan, taking a tougher stand on the deepening nuclear crisis and warning U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to any part of the country as unpredictable weather and wind conditions risked spreading radioactive contamination.

Read full story here.

On Thursday around midday, Tokyo time, a few hours before this AP story appeared, my friend Ai posted this update on her FB page:

Thank you Friends, for keeping us in your thoughts. Here in Tokyo we feel safe right now. We are updating our plan B every single morning and we feel we are making sound decisions. Plan A is stay in Tokyo for now; we are working and it's life as normal (except for toilet paper selling out every morning at stores... might have to ask you for a care package of TP soon :)). We are praying for those where disaster struck and those who are still looking for loved ones. It's snowing there. We will also let you know which organization we choose to donate to. Please Watch NHK World for updates. The tremors are getting less frequent and smaller. In regards to the plants, the US and UK embassies have repeatedly have said those in Tokyo are still OK here. We are keeping tabs on everything. Even watching CNN. OK just sometimes :). We feel it's important to take everything with a grain of salt and make a decision that YOU feel most comfortable with. More soon. Thank you for keeping Japan in your thoughts and prayers.