World

Japan Quake Moment #12: Car’s Dash Cam Captures Tsunami Moment of Impact

Editor’s note: This video is part of an ongoing series on The Blaze featuring some of the Japan earthquake’s most breathtaking videos. We have numbered them sequentially so that it is easier to keep track. We will post them throughout our coverage.

Comments (56)

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  • Rizz917
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:30pm

    May 21 Jesus Christ returns to jusge the world, and to gather His elect from off the face of the Earth.
    I suspect more of these quakes as we approach the end, God is indeed preparing the world for judgment. MAY 21 Christ returns. There’s still time to pray for mercy, to cry out to God for salvation. After MAY 21, there will be no more mercy. Today is still the day of salvation. familyradio.com ebiblefellowship.com, wecanknow.com, latter_day_rain.com.

    Report Post » Rizz917  
  • GA_dandelion
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 7:13pm

    Daaaaaaaaaaaammmnnn

    Report Post » GA_dandelion  
  • Its Gonna Getcha
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 5:41pm

    Dash cams really do give you a completely different look at things, whether a car chase, accident, or having your car turn into a boat floating away within seconds. Good footage Blaze.

    Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 12:09pm

    At 1:40 in the video you can see a reflection of Mothra’s glowing eye in the windshield right before the wave hits. I know Japanese, the guys wife is nagging him to turn the windshield wipers on faster, to watch where he’s going, to use his turn signal if he’s going to change lanes and on and on…

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • bs2722
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 11:57am

    These people will have their area rebuilt before the Katrina people have their area rebuilt….. and the Katrina people have a 6 year head start! I don’t see the Japanese as a bunch to sit in their government temporary homes eating government cheese saying “yo, when is someone gonna fix my ghetto, yo”.

    Report Post »  
    • Grumpy old Flight Nurse
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 12:40pm

      Amazing . Not one person on TV proclaiming “Where my check”. “Gotta get my baby that Sony”. Car video pretty cool too.

      Report Post » Grumpy old Flight Nurse  
  • Warphead
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 11:29am

    The Earth quake was what, a 9.5? I bet that guys “pucker factor went of the scale. I know mine would have. Had to escape once from an area that was flooding once (no choice). Opened both doors to let the water run through so the car wouldn’t float off the road. No fun, no fun at all.

    Report Post » Warphead  
  • DVT
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:16am

    Just survivng something like that means everyday after is gravy!

    Report Post »  
  • Love Bandit Bestid
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:15am

    My Japanese is a little rusty, but I’m pretty sure that said the tsunami was the doing of the evil monster Godzilla, who they now refer to as ‘The Devil Hillary’.

    Report Post » Iman Barak Hussein  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:09am

    I’ll take a pair of air jordans, size 24. I will be skiing in a couple of weeks.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • Apple Bite
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:05am

    Just one more reason not to buy a economy car….

    Report Post » Apple Bite  
  • Penzanse
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:46am

    Phone interview is the driver in the video

    Report Post »  
  • catndahat
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:43am

    I don’t see how he made it out alive! It looks like if he got there maybe 20 seconds later, he wouldn’t have.

    Report Post » catndahat  
  • Penzanse
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:41am

    Driver made it. Phone interview is with the driver.

    Report Post »  
  • Rob
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:40am

    During the live broadcasts the day of, I saw many instances of people driving on roads that were swallowed up by the water… no mention of them was made by the talking heads.

    Report Post »  
  • LennyVasbinder.blogspot.com
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:33am

    So… is there a page to see all the vids from #1 through…??? I’ve seen the last couple of vids but missed the first nine or so.

    http://LennyVasbinder.blogspot.com

    Report Post » LennyVasbinder.blogspot.com  
  • Joseff
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:19am

    This is the most personalized view I have seen. Talk about putting you in the driver’s seat. I suppose it wouldn’t have made much difference, and maybe the driver had no warning, but I keep wondering why they didn’t seem to react. I want to say I would have stopped, tried to turn around, but really I guess there wasn’t really time for that. This is really the most terrifying and personal perspective I’ve seen of the tsunami.

    Joe

    Report Post » Joseff  
  • tymarq
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:15am

    Just a little freaky!!

    Report Post »  
  • ibanrfknm
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:09am

    That’s frightening

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:08am

    I’m guessing the guy they interviewed was the driver? Not sure why a regular citizen has a dash cam though. Was it a cop? Did he make it? If that road was 20 yards to the right, he wouldn’t have.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Blackhawk1
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:36am

      Japanese are big into electronics. You would be surprised how many have GPS, cameras, etc.. in their cars. I mean they do live on an Island, can you possibly get lost?

      Report Post » Blackhawk1  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:46am

      Interesting, it would certainly help having a cam if you were in a wreck and there was a dispute over who did what.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • @leftfighter
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:02am

    Wow. Amazing!

    Report Post » @leftfighter  
    • Salamander
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 4:16pm

      Leftfighter! Gosh, PLEASE NEVER go in water with a car! Only a few inches, 2-4, can wash you into a culvert or down an arroyo! Years ago, my neighbor lost his girfriend in Columbia, MD, crossing the main entrance road just after a torrential downpour–he made it, she didn’t! Never, never, never drive through a flooded street that crosses a stream! It was amazing to see how the video went from a wave crashing over a bulkhead to a turbulent sea with multi-foot waves as far as the eye could see. (Looked like the Gulf Stream in an adverse breeze!) My guess it the guy lucked out with an eddy and patch of traction at the building parking lot, as mayhem swirled all around him!

      Report Post »  
  • DatabaseSue
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:58am

    These videos are amazing. The little details – like the wiper on the car that was going back and forth as the van floated, the person on the bicycle as the wave comes in, the wave looking like cake batter being poured in a pan. And then this one with the vehicle going down the road and then whoa. Amazing anyone survived.

    Report Post »  
    • @leftfighter
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:15am

      Little details save lives in cases like this. Here‘s what I’ve learned:

      When I was in the sixth grade (20+ years ago), I went to a school my mom was teaching at. The school grounds were bordered by a drainage ditch on one side. Well, we got hit by like two weeks of rain and then a tropical storm. It was amazing how fast that 12 foot wide, five foot deep, miles-long ditch filled up.

      As you can imagine, there was a bridge over the ditch (and was the only way into the school), so my mom had to float (Yes. Float.) her car across the washed out bridge.

      I said all that to say this: If my mom’s 1986 Mercury Capri (think the ‘80’s Mustang without the high performance engine) floated with those door seals, there were probably hundreds of people who did the same in late model cars. There’s been a lot of research done to minimize flood damage in vehicles since then. That research causes a lot of cars to float for a while before taking on too much water to be able to do so.

      The moral of the story is, if you ever find yourself in a situation where your car is floating, don’t open the door.

      Report Post » @leftfighter  
    • Czar Casm
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:33am

      @leftfighter

      You can tell your mom was a teacher and a good parent. Your post has good structure, grammer, spelling, punctuation, semi colon used properly, etc. A+. (Not being czarcastic here)

      Report Post »  
  • brntout
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:52am

    The rainbow on the windshield just prior to impact maybe a sign it’s not your time yet?

    Report Post »  
    • jedi.kep
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:17am

      I could not help but notice the rainbow on the windshield. A sign indeed.

      Report Post » jedi.kep  
  • Thighmaster
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:48am

    UNBELIEVABLE! Did you see how the water just beaded up on that windshield? I hope they’re alright.

    Report Post » Thighmaster  
  • Gold Coin & Economic News
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:47am

    Wow, it’s amazing that the car and video survived.

    Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
  • 912828Buckeye
    Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:46am

    Could we a afford a translator next time.

    Report Post » 912828Buckeye  
    • Gold Coin & Economic News
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:51am

      Yes, it would be nice to know how the guy and his car actually survived being hit by the tsunami.

      Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 8:58am

      I saw all the helicopter footage of the cars trying to out-run the tsunami. Now I know what it looks like from the ground.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 9:29am

      Each one of these videos shows more and more the face of the people themselves; and the hope and faith for each other they share…tale of surivivor and rescue in one.

      These need to be kept for the future.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 11:09am

      OMG – that was a really interesting video – the car part I mean – it was almost too real to watch too many times. I do wonder how the driver got out!! There are really interesting videos coming out of Japan.
      Thanks for posting!!! http://wp.me/pYLB7-KJ

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • pajamash
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 11:28am

      I do not speak Japanese but I believe at time stamp 1:35 they begin a conversation with the driver of the car via phone. The newscaster clearly says the word driver and then the voice of a gentlemen on a phone is heard.

      Report Post »  
    • ShawnB
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 11:47am

      right i was thinking the same thing too. Its sad what happened but it would be so much better if we knew what this man was saying.

      Report Post »  
    • poverty.sucks
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 12:18pm

      An example of Obama’s failures, the waters have not receded, contrary to his lying campaign pledge.

      Report Post » poverty.sucks  
    • Republic
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 12:22pm

      I did not need a translator or subtitles to know the driver was saying, “Oh S#@t”.

      Report Post »  
    • edcoil
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 12:40pm

      Isn’t a picture worth a thousand words?

      Report Post »  
    • GETLIFE
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 12:41pm

      For what it’s worth, here is a partial summary of the driver’s description near the end of the video.
      From what I understand, the second time the car footage is shown, the driver explains to the reporter that he saw the water just as he rounded the corner. It was too late to do anything but keep driving. When the tsunami hit and the water lifted the car he panicked. He estimated the water at around 2 meters- and realized he had to stay in the car. All he could do was wait. When the water pulled back, he took advantage of the moment and got out to safety. Very frightening.

      Report Post » GETLIFE  
    • GODBLESSOURTROOPS
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 1:58pm

      lol..

      Report Post » GODBLESSOURTROOPS  
    • GONESURFING
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 2:22pm

      GETLIFE, good summary, one thing for sure, if you ever get caught in that situation, keep your windows up and hope and pray that you float away safely. Awesome images. Good work Blaze.

      Report Post » GONESURFING  
    • Unalienable Rights
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 2:52pm

      Who needs a translator when you have subtitles?

      Report Post » Unalienable Rights  
    • ottodiedacktick
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 3:37pm

      I wonder what happened to the gray mini-van that was traveling/escaping just ahead of the video car. I hope/pray they’re ok.

      Report Post »  
    • Enuff Zenuff
      Posted on March 18, 2011 at 10:47pm

      Car floated pretty well! – Too sad for Mary Jo Kopechne that Teddy Kennedy didn’t own one of these.

      Report Post » Enuff Zenuff  
    • joseph Fawcett
      Posted on March 19, 2011 at 12:08am

      I think it was a bit scarey myself. But one thing I noticed in a number of videos is that the cars actually floated. You can see this car bobbing in the water too. Our cars sink, their cars float???

      http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist

      Report Post » joseph Fawcett  
    • PistosEnAgape
      Posted on March 19, 2011 at 2:50am

      Did anyone else notice a rainbow briefly appear in the video?

      Report Post »  
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