Man packs cat and bird, rushes from home during tsunami alert, leaving breakfast unfinished.
Following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula on July 30, tsunami warnings were sent to coastal areas in Japan, the US West Coast, and Hawaii.
In the midst of the pandemonium, one Japanese man recorded his very first tsunami evacuation and shared it with viewers on how sudden disaster could hit.
Yuu, a travel content creator and photographer who resides ten minutes from the sea, uploaded to Instagram a clip of the moment he had to leave breakfast behind and run away.
"Because I reside near the ocean, I always have to be aware of tsunamis following an earthquake," he said in his post.
In the video, he quietly puts his cat into a backpack, puts his pet bird into a carrier, takes his camera equipment, and quickly departs from his house after taking the evacuation alert.
Watch:
Yuu went to the nearby middle school, which had been assigned as an evacuation centre. However, upon his arrival, he found that individuals with pets weren't allowed in.
While non-pet residents stayed indoors in the comfort of air-conditioned classrooms, Yuu and the rest of the pet owners were stuck outside.
Looking back at the experience, he posted, "Through this tsunami warning experience, I realised I need to be much more prepared for disasters."
Yuu's composure and responsibility as a pet owner resonated with many on Instagram.
"I'm glad you are safe, that's so scary!" Margaret Clayton posted.
Another commenter condemned the city's evacuation policy as follows: "How terrible that the city doesn't have a safe venue for people with animals."
Many users praised Yuu's resourcefulness and bemoaned the lack of adequate support given to pet owners during emergencies.
