Scenes of Destruction: Quake Aftermath Reveals ‘Enormous Damage’
- Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:37am by
Scott Baker
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TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s northeastern coast was a swampy wasteland of broken houses, overturned cars, sludge and dirty water Saturday as the nation awoke to the devastating aftermath of one of its greatest disasters, a powerful tsunami created by one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded.
The death toll from Friday’s massive magnitude 8.9 quake stood at more than 200, but an untold number of bodies were believed to be lying in the rubble and debris, and Japanese were bracing for more bad news as authorities tried to reach the hardest-hit areas.
Aerial footage showed military helicopters lifting people on rescue tethers from rooftops and partially submerged buildings surrounded by water and debris. At one school, a large white “SOS” had been spelled out in English.
The earthquake that struck off the northeastern shore was the biggest recorded quake ever to hit Japan. It ranked as the fifth-largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and was nearly 8,000 times stronger than one that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, scientists said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said an initial assessment found “enormous damage,” adding that the Defense Ministry was sending troops to the hardest-hit region.
The official casualty toll was 236 dead, 725 missing and 1,028 injured, although police said 200-300 bodies were found along the coast in Sendai, the biggest city in the area. Authorities said they weren’t able to reach the area because of damage to the roads.
Black smoke could still be seen in the skies around Sendai, presumably from gas pipes snapped by the quake or tsunami.
Early Saturday morning, Atsushi Koshi, a 24-year-old call center worker in the coastal city of Tagajo, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Sendai, said his cousin remained trapped on the roof of a department store with about 200 to 300 other people awaiting rescue. The store wasn’t far from the port of Sendai, where the tsunami had washed ashore.
The rest of his family was safe, but he wondered what to do, since the house he shares with his parents was tilting from the quake and a concrete block wall had fallen apart.
“If we clean up our house it might be livable, but we’re discussing what to do next,” he said.
The quake shook dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coast and tall buildings swayed in Tokyo, hundreds of miles from the epicenter. Minutes later, the earthquake unleashed a 23-foot (seven-meter) tsunami that washed far inland over fields and smashed towns.
The town of Rikuzentakada, population 24,700, in northern Iwate prefecture, looked largely submerged in muddy water, with hardly a trace of houses or buildings of any kind.
AP
The entire Pacific had been put on alert — including coastal areas of South America, Canada and Alaska — but waves were not as bad as expected.
The U.S. Geological Survey said that after the initial huge quake, there were 123 aftershocks off Japan’s main island of Honshu, 110 of them of magnitude 5.0 or higher
President Barack Obama pledged U.S. assistance following what he called a potentially “catastrophic” disaster. He said one U.S. aircraft carrier is already in Japan and a second was on its way. A U.S. ship was also heading to the Marianas Islands to assist as needed, he added.
Japan also declared its first-ever states of emergency for five nuclear reactors at two power plants after the units lost cooling ability in the aftermath of the earthquake, and workers struggled to prevent meltdowns.
The earthquake knocked out power at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and because a backup generator failed, the cooling system was unable to supply water to cool the 460-megawatt No. 1 reactor. Although a backup cooling system is being used, Japan’s nuclear safety agency said pressure inside the reactor had risen to 1.5 times the level considered normal.
Authorities said radiation levels had jumped 1,000 times normal inside Unit 1 and were measured at eight times normal outside the plant. They expanded an earlier evacuation zone more than threefold, from 3 kilometers to 10 kilometers (2 miles to 6.2 miles). About 3,000 people were urged to leave their homes in the first announcement.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. warned of power shortages and an “extremely challenging situation in power supply for a while.”
The utility, which also operates reactors at the nearby Fukushima Daini plant, later confirmed that cooling ability had been lost at three of four reactors there, as well as a second Fukushima Daiichi unit. The government promptly declared a state of emergency there as well. Nearly 14,000 people living near the two power plants were ordered to evacuate.
The level outside the 40-year-old plant in Onahama, a city about 170 miles (270 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, is still considered very low compared to the annual exposure limit, said Ryohei Shiomi, an official with the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. It would take 70 days of standing at the gate to reach the limit, he said.
The Defense Ministry said it had sent troops trained to deal with chemical disasters to the plants in case of a radiation leak.
A large fire erupted at the Cosmo oil refinery in the city of Ichihara and burned out of control with 100-foot (30-meter) flames whipping into the sky.
Most trains in Tokyo started running again Saturday after the city was brought to a near standstill Friday. Tens of thousands of people were stranded with the rail network down, and the streets were jammed with cars, buses and trucks trying to get out of the city.
The city set up 33 shelters in city hall, on university campuses and in government offices, but many planned to spend the night at 24-hour cafes, hotels and offices.
The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off Japan’s east coast, the USGS said. The area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. Several quakes hit the same region in recent days, including one measured at magnitude 7.3 on Wednesday that caused no damage.
“The energy radiated by this quake is nearly equal to one month’s worth of energy consumption” in the United States, USGS scientist Brian Atwater told The Associated Press.
Japan’s worst previous quake was a magnitude 8.3 in Kanto that killed 143,000 people in 1923, according to the USGS. A magnitude 7.2 quake in Kobe killed 6,400 people in 1995.
Japan lies on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 percent of the world’s quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 countries. A magnitude-8.8 temblor that shook central Chile in February 2010 also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people.
___
Associated Press writers contributing to this report: Jay Alabaster, Mari Yamaguchi, Tomoko A. Hosaka and Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo; Jeff Donn in Boston; Seth Borenstein and Julie Pace in Washington; Ryan Nakashima in Los Angeles; Alicia Chang in Pasadena, Calif.; and Mark Niesse in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
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Comments (64)
moonpeace
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 11:56amRemember, not one house or building will remain standing in the end. We are powerless.
Report Post »Eyeball
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:18pmI feel so bad for the Japanese people. They have been a great and kind people since WWII. They do not deserve this. They have been a model country for people to see around the world. they will dig themselves out of this I am sure.
Report Post »moonpeace
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 12:03pmYes, but does everyone feel bad enough to help out with donations to legitimate agencies of help?
Report Post »Christian Kalgaard
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:42pmFor nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
Mark 13:8
Report Post »WhiteFang
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 5:43pm“in divers places” This is old english.
Report Post »Today “divers” mean diverse or different places.
It does not mean under water places
Blacktooth
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 6:25pmThat is why a accurate modern English translation is good to have. Actually, a person should have at least three different translations to compare how scriptures are worded. I use the King James, American Standard, New World Translation, and The Bible in Living English. Comparing these translation really help in understanding the true meaning of Bible scriptures.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:36pmOur prayers are for those in Japan-God watch over and bless them, each of us can
Report Post »hopefully find some way to help, if only our prayers
Joy M
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:52amGonzo–it would like Nashville, TN when they were flooded. There was very little national coverage, but all the folks there just pitched in a cleaned stuff up and didn‘t belly ache because the feds didn’t help or the news folks didn’t praise them.
Report Post »donh2
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:55amThe religeous man of God Glenn Beck MOCKED the bird omen and used his airwaves to ridicule the message from God when thousands of black starlings dropped dead from the sky on New Years day. Looks at the riots and devastations the Almighty has handed you in the first 3 months of 2011 ! Prophesy of the birds fullfilled.
Report Post »kgallops
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:13amAccording to Matthew Chapter 24: These are the signs of the end of the age. I encourage everyone to read this and live each day for God as if it is the day in which Jesus will return.
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:23amToday could be the last day for any one of us. God doesn’t promise us tomorrow, that’s why my heart is ready today.
Report Post »KeithOlberdink
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:12amWhy would I watch cnn for continuing coverage? Who the hell watches cnn for anything?
Report Post »eddiee
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 7:49am3 And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Report Post »Matthew 24
eddiee
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 7:47amMatthew 24 : And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 6:20amAmazing how all these events world wide are happening in our life time.
Be good for us each one to be praying for GOD’s intervention for all of us, for each nation and all persons.
GOD is “talking”. Are we paying attention?
May HE change our hearts of stone for hearts of flesh.
In JESUS’ precious name, amen.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 7:07amAmen.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 6:20amNo looting or violence. What would America be like?
Report Post »Camelot
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 8:38amIt would look very much different I’m sure.
Report Post »Boojer56
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:59amA combat zone
Report Post »sbenard
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:42amThe cost of this is incalculable!
This has an interesting potential impact on the bond markets and sovereign debt. Japan has the highest debt-to-GDP in the world, and the largest senior population per capita. Until recently, it could continue this trend because most of its debt was owned by Japanese citizens, and especially seniors. As more and more Japanese seniors retire, they will be selling more of these bonds.
Now, Japan’s government is likely to increase the debt to an even greater level, endangering Japan’s credit rating at a very precarious time. Once the bond markets begin to panic, the house of cards could unravel quickly. This could be a triggering event that could be the tipping point in a global economic catastrophe. One never knows what those tipping point events will be.
Report Post »Billsocal
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:39amThere is more to this Japanese earthquake. It has been reported on various website on the Internet that 1) That the Moon was closes it been to the Earth since 1992. That has effect on the Earth’s tides. 2) There were 3 volcanoes erupting at the same time . as the earthquake happened. What does this mean to thw3 US. If there is a mjor earthquake in California that could trigger a erupt of Longs Valley Caldera, a super volcano located between Reno, NV and Los Angeles. The last several years there have been swarms of earthquakes around Reno, NV. No one has paid any attention to them and they should have. There is a link between earthquake activity and volcanic activity. Around Christchurch New Zealand they are getting the smell of sulpher in the air, and sulpher dust. Add to that they have found hot springs that weren’t there before the earthquake. Add all of that to two volcanoes that were thought to be dead that are coming back to life. We are entering a very dangerous period of time on this earth.
Report Post »Star Spangled
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:34amThe mylar blankets will hold in your body heat and keep the rain off you , they wont protect you from radiation . We’ve also used them to make tents and catch rain water on camping trips .
Small world , I used to live near the Fermi 2 nuclear plant in southern Michigan .
Report Post »Star Spangled
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:01amGod be with Japan . So many lives lost , so many more lives devastated .
Report Post »curmudgeon60
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:16amSTAR SPANGLED THANK YOU – I knew it had significance but didn’t know how to research it. We live in a community within a mile of a nuclear plant in Michigan-would this be something useful to have?
Report Post »curmudgeon60
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:51amThe pictures speak volumes and truly touch the heart! (EXcept for the people with the PLEATED FOIL BLANKETS-could someone please explain that one?!-I’m not a learned person-I don’t get it!)
Report Post »Star Spangled
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 4:08amThat‘s not foil it’s mylar a thin plastic type of blanket , waterproof & re-usable, Provides emergency protection in all weather conditions. Used to offset hypothermic reaction. I have them in my emergency supplies , too .
Report Post »lketchum
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:58amIf the bright side were to face the people properly, they are designed to help a person retain up to 90% of their body heat and prevent hypothermia – they work “if” a person has body heat to retain, and less well if a person is already dangerously cold. Those shown may be refelctive on both sides (I hope so, but doubt it, as they would reflect solar heat away from the victims). The most effective models are much like a sleeping bag and closed off at the bottom and sides and better able to retain the heated air within them. I would recommend all people keep these at the ready in homes and cars and in various sizes (and learn how to use them!).
Report Post »Pyx
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:34amHopefully communist China will not take advantage of the situation in the aftermath to flex is muscle and attempt to dominate.
Report Post »trueblueday
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 8:52amThat was our concern, too! I said last night, haven’t heard input from China – wonder what they’re thinking.
Report Post »Evileye
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:50amThey will have there Puppet in North Korea do it for them
Report Post »Apple Bite
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:58amWhat really sucks is that the U.S. is nearly defenseless to do anything to help them monetary wise. Sure, we can send people to help out. Send food and clothing and all of that. How long will it take them to rebuild and restructure? That takes money. Money the U.S. doesn’t have, because our politicians were so irresponsible over the last 10-15 years.
Just think, the money Obama spent to visit India could really come in handy to help the citizens of Japan right now. The money he spent in the last month alone would go quite a ways here. My only hope is that Barry O doesn’t stub his toe in lending a hand or taking action. A couple of ships is meager compared to what we could have done to help in the past.
Report Post »Helldogger
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 8:41amI brought this up a couple days ago on another story & they removed my comment. Who’s gonna help now? The last tsunami hit a Muslim country & we were able to help them & they turned their noses up at us. This is our greatest ally in the orient & we can’t help. Will the Chi-Coms help? Will the Saudis help. Japan gets a lot of their oil from Saudi Arabia. I think Japan is in a bad way. But I bet the American people(private sector) finds a way.
Report Post »APatriotFirst
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:04pmOprah, Buffet, Gates, Hollywood, and others can pool their $$ and help.
Report Post »koibaby
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:00amThis is unbelievable. I am so sorry. I have imported koi fish birthed in Japan. I am sick. : (
Report Post »The world is falling apart under obama’s watch. He IS evil.
Carmine Fragione
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:47amdoes this event tie into the recent finding that the Magnetic North Pole has dramatically moved , in a drift from Northern Canada on route towards Russia ? In Tampa Florida, planes were landing on the wrong runways, due to a need to reset their compass headings, almost ten degrees. Birds have fallen out of the skies, due to errors in their migratory flights , flying into cold air masses , bad weather and dying by hypothermia. Also fish and crabs have been beaching on East Coast of Florida, and other incidents. Is the Earth reeling off it’s axis in some recent acceleration of continental drifting. Is it tidal forces that might be answered by the 2012 planetary alignments ?
Report Post »Xcori8r
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:03amI sure hope galactic alignment isn’t going to do us in.
I’m holding out for a Gamma Ray Burst from a distant star a billion solar masses in size.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:32amThe first thing I heard this morning when I woke up was the news break at the hour, and the broadcaster saying that a witness had seen a building on fire, and that it was being carried by the tsunami. That has stuck in my head all day.
This earthquake is disaster beyond the wildest imagination. The daughter of a friend of mine was killed in the Hatian earthquake, but this is beyond Haiti in my opinion.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:55am@SHOW
They say it was 700 times more powerful than Haiti .. imagine that … really unimaginable.
http://www.wsoctv.com/haiti-earthquake/27161031/detail.html
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:35am@CatB ~
Report Post »OMG!
OMG!
Speechless!
aaron11
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:14amCan they fix this scrolling issue on these pages….. it lags so badly!
Report Post »Jim
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:27amDuh!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:38amTry clicking the little roller thingy on the mouse and release it. Then (without pressing on anything) move the mouse the way you want the page to move. The farther away from the point you did the roller thingy, the faster the page moves.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:55amNot making light of this tragedy in Japan – since it seems like what happened to the Gulf Coast states in the USA – for Hurricane Katrina and Rita = wiped-out.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:41amAs said before: God help us all.
Report Post »AzDebi
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:50amTouching picture of the ol’ gentleman being “piggy-backed” by the serviceman! Good form!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 12:55amThis will be one of those generation rebuilding projects from the looks of it; someday they will tell the kids and grandkids ‘There is where I was when it happened.’
This is their ‘end of camelot’ moment.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:00amFor those interested in the description given of the energy level released in the quake, aside from the one given, this is roughly equal to what a Cat 5 hurricane would release in one hour of time.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:48amThat refinery .. I wonder if that is the one that takes Alaskan oil? … it isn‘t that we ’sell” it to Japan .. they have the refinery that can take that oil because it is high in sulfur and our “old” refineries can’t handle it … that may eventually affect the price on the world market .. if it is the “one”.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:33amWow ! As I said before, pray for Japan.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:49amNow it looks like a nuclear meltdown is very possible.
God is shaking this earth, God is shaking and everything that can not be shaken will remain.
Report Post »PA PATRIOT
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 6:56amNature
Can be awesome and or, awesomely scary.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 7:48amAs terrible as this disaster is, you will now witness one of the greatest people rise up and rebuild. Watch how the Japanese help each other, respect each other and each others property, share food and water with strangers, and begin the slow process of rebuilding.
Report Post »It’s amazing, I haven’t seen one story of looting.
t00nces2
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 8:40amI never thought, when I heard of “The Horses of the Apocolypse”, there would be a stampede.
Report Post »Boojer56
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 10:04amWhere does an individual make a donation to help these people? I haven’t seen any ads for donations.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 1:32pmI must say the people of JAPAN are some of the MOST CALM people I have ever seen.. remember Katrina?? people were running every witch way, robbing, looting and the government was going DUH.. years later we still have people demanding the government help them.. my guess is JAPAN will NOT be like it is here.. and they will get things back to normal SOONER.. we still have people who live in FLOOD PLAINS and they CONTINUE to live where they KNOW it will flood and the TAXPAYERS pick up the tab.. GOD HELP us IF we ever have a REAL disaster.. like they just did in JAPAN..here 1/2 the people would die from stupidity..while waiting for a government handout..
Report Post »TerryDo
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 2:19pmThat was my sentiments exactly. A young strong Japanese soldier carrying a senior citizen on his back with all the respect and kindness in his face and the face of the old man is one of humility, acceptance
Report Post »and gratitude.
WhiteFang
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 5:31pmindependentvoteril,
Remember Japan! Watch how they dig in and get to work.
Remember Haiti? Remember that they mostly sat around waiting for someone else to fix their plight. They looted, raped, and preyed on each other. Today, there is no improvement in their stink hole country and where did all those billions of dollars that was contributed go? I am glad I never sent a single penny to their disaster.
Report Post »just_ja_el
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 9:19pmWhat a proud, resilient and self sufficient people. Now compare them to all of thse slugs in New Orleans during Katrina.
Report Post »NeoFan
Posted on March 13, 2011 at 10:48pmAmazing, I tell someone I like their post and you remove my comment but you leave in people randomly posting scripture. Nice.
Report Post »