The following is a fictional disaster narrative set in Miyako, Japan. The events, earthquake, tsunami, casualties, and destruction described below are fictional and should not be interpreted as a report of a real earthquake occurring in Miyako.
The Morning the Ground Began to Move
At first, no one in Miyako understood what was happening.
It began with a vibration so subtle that some residents mistook it for a passing truck.
A glass trembled on a kitchen table.
A hanging light swung gently from the ceiling.
A few dishes rattled inside cupboards.
Then the movement became stronger.
The floor shifted beneath people’s feet.
Windows began to shake violently.
Furniture moved across rooms.
And within seconds, the ordinary sounds of morning disappeared beneath the deep, continuous roar of a city being violently shaken.
The fictional earthquake had struck beneath the ocean with an extraordinary magnitude of 9.1.
There was no warning that could prepare people for the force that followed.
