Update (3:20am EST on Monday, March 14): A number of people commenting on here in the last day or so have confirmed that everything is OK in Okinawa — it didn’t get hit very hard. Thanks to all the people sharing info in the comments below! Okinawa, Japan is home to 14 large U.S. military bases. With news of the massive earthquake in Japan and resulting tsunami, many U.S. citizens are legitimately concerned about their relatives in Okinawa. The good news: Okinawa seems to be far enough away from the earthquake that it is hardly being affected by the tsunami. Here’s an update from someone living there:
Okinawa island is hours away, by plane, from where all the damage has been done. If you hear anything about Taiwan getting hit, I’m closer to that island than I am to mainland Japan. So far, the worst of the tsunami has passed. It was something like 20 centimeters (8 inches) from what I’ve gathered. Please don’t worry about me. I can handle worse things than that. I’m a married man ! For maps and the latest news on the situation in and around Japan, GOOGLE CRISIS RESPONSE seems to be the place to go for maps, locations and accurate updates. The folks up in Sendai are the ones we all need to be concerned about and I hope everyone helps them make a speedy recovery.
Reportedly, things still look pretty much like in the photo below there. 
Nonetheless, precautions are being taken. “Marine Corps Bases Japan has activated its Base Emergency Operations Center to monitor the situation and coordinate Marine Corps actions. MCBJ has evacuated residents living in low-lying areas on Camp Foster, lower Camp Lester, and Camp Kinser to an elevation of at least 30 feet/10 meters as a precautionary measure,” DVIDS reporting from Okinawa reports. “We will continue to monitor the tsunami, coordinate with other U.S. forces on Okinawa, and take action to ensure the safety of military personnel, family members, civilian employees and contractors.” Looks good. So, if you are one of the many Americans who have family, no worries for now. Photos via buck82 & N.kimy More on the tsunami effects in Hawaii and Japan.
