El Paso Family Fears For Loved Ones In Japan

A cloud of fear hovers over the heads of families in El Paso with relatives in Japan.

The Obata family in far east El Paso said their loved ones are part of the millions who spent another night Monday with little food and water, or heating in near freezing temperatures.

“I was kind of shocked,” said Yuki Obata. His grandparents and extended family live in Japan.

He said his parents called them as soon as they heard about the disaster and have spoken with them everyday since.

Yuki’s father, Minoru Obata said he just can’t believe the magnitude of the disaster; which includes radioactive steam spewing from nuclear reactors, communities ripped apart by a violent tsunami and a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that left homes in ruins.

“My grandmother told me her house is OK, but the TVs fell down, so inside is all messy,” said Yuki.

The family’s worry now are those nuclear reactors. Yuki’s grandparents live near the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant. He said officials are telling people to stay at least 13 miles away.

“It’s (very) close to my grandparents’ house, so I don’t want anything to go on,” Yuki said.

The safety of loved ones is a constant concern for this eighth-grader and his family. “If something’s going on with them, I really want to go see them, but since we can’t, I’m kind of worried,” Yuki said.

TV and cable providers are helping families stay in touch with loved one in Japan.

Time Warner has announced all calls placed by digital phone customers to Japan between last Friday and April 15 will be free.

AT&T U-Verse is offering free access to the Japanese language “TV Japan” until March 17.