North Dakota native still waiting for flight out of northern Japan

North Dakota native Allison Colby is still waiting to get out of northern Japan after the area was devastated last Friday by an earthquake.

Colby, a 24-year-old English teacher who was living in Kamimachi, Japan, and a couple of American friends were able to get to a small airport in northern Japan early this morning only to find their flight was canceled, her mom Pam Colby said this morning from Velva, N.D.

The North Dakota State University graduate is still unsure when she will get out, her mom said. It’s a scary situation made worse by ongoing concerns about radiation, said Pam, who is communicating with Allison via text messages.

Allison is wearing a facemask to protect against radiation, and the girls are “frantically trying to get out of there,” Pam said.

“I can’t imagine what she is going through, and I just wish I was there to comfort her,” Pam said.

Allison escaped unharmed by the earthquake and a tsunami that devastated Sendai – a city of about 1 million about 30 miles to the south of Kamimachi.

Kamimachi was damaged by the earthquake, but spared by the tsunami.

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.

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