Tsunami Warning? Meh.

From the Associated Press:

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck off northern Japan on Saturday, prompting tsunami warnings and sending thousands fleeing to higher ground but causing no reported injuries or damage. Thousands of others ignored the warnings.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami warnings by late Saturday, and local authorities lifted all evacuation orders for thousands of coastal residents.

Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido had earlier issued evacuation orders for 85,000 coastal residents in 22 towns due to fears of killer waves, said prefectural (state) official Koji Urano.

But only a fraction of them turned up at designated shelters, major newspapers including the Yomiuri and the Mainichi said Sunday.

In Abashiri City, less than 10 percent of the 9,400 residents used designated shelters, the Yomiuri said, quoting vice mayor Masanori Suzuki.

“I’m afraid many people are losing their guard against tsunami warnings,” he said.

The town of Kushiro recorded the worst turnout of 0.25 percent of its 13,400 coastal residents, the Mainichi said. Many people apparently stayed home, monitoring the news of TV.

The reports blamed massive tsunami warnings in November in the region, which produced only small waves at a remote Pacific island hours later, for causing a “cry-wolf” effect.

When I saw the tsunami warning show up on the TV Saturday night, I was somewhat annoyed by the warning maps blocking out some of the program I was watching. From the look of the warning colors on the map, parts of Japan were in for tsunamis of incredibly puny size, much like the last earthquake in that area. If I was actually living in one of the towns listed for evactuation, I doubt I would have gone out into the cold to sit around in some shelter while nothing happened…