Swept Away

As some of you may have heard, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, as well as a tsunami has just recently struck Japan. In addition to many lives lost and houses swept away and destroyed, a large explosion also occurred at a power plant as a result of the earthquake, causing deadly exposure to radiation.
As I'm sure it did many others, this earthquake seriously alarmed me. I suppose this is because I have always considered Japan to be an advanced country, and I have always subconsciously considered advanced countries to be invincible. I was proved wrong.
I supposed this is a pretty selfish way to think, but this disaster really makes me worry about the ones I love. We are never safe from Mother Nature.

But can we be? Is it about that time that the world should seriously reconsider building structures and think of new ways to protect ourselves against natural disaster? Or is this simply impossible?