'Shock' Waves from Japanese Earthquake Felt in D.C.

Seven Georgetown University students who are currently studying abroad this semester in Japan have been safely accounted for following the earthquake and tsunami that rocked the country on Friday and claimed hundreds of lives.

"The Georgetown Office of International Programs has been in contact with some students directly or administrators of the program they are staying with in Japan," wrote Rob Mathis, a spokesman for the University, in an email.

The Embassy of Japan, located just across the Rock Creek Parkway from Georgetown in Kalorama Heights, has not issued a formal statement about the natural disasters.

Naosumi Nishigori, a spokesman in the Embassy's press office, said the Japanese government has issued a statement, but the Embassy had no plans to do so at this time.

That has not kept the local community from reacting to the natural disaster. A Facebook group calling itself "Japan Network Georgetown University" posted a statement saying, "Our prayers go to all the victims and our loved ones who are experiencing the earthquake."

Staff members at the Japanese-American Society of Washington, D.C., which focuses on promoting Japanese culture in America, were scrambling on Friday morning to contact loved ones.

"We have one American who is with us now who was teaching English on the northern part of the island for the last three years," said John Mallott, president of the society. "She was trying all morning long to get in touch with her friends there with mixed results. A lot of the phone lines are down so it’s been hard to get in touch."

The society's number one concern this morning has been to check on the status of friends and relatives. A lot of Facebook messages have gone back and forth, Mallott said.

"They are expecting after shocks for the next 30 days," he said. "People are nervous; earthquakes are very unpredictable."

According to AOL News, this was the biggest earthquake to hit Japan in 150 years. CNN reported earlier Friday morning that there have been no reports of American casualities. A Google application has been developed to help locate Japanese residents who may have been impacted by the disaster.