March 11 Tsunami

     March 11 is a day that no one is likely to forget any time soon. That was the day an earthquake measuring 8.9 struck, causing a huge tsunami wave to crash into Japan's north-eastern coastline. Entire towns were washed away by the force of the water. The death toll is already approaching ten thousand, and will continue to climb as more bodies are recovered from the rubble.
     This disaster is remarkable not only for the immense scale of the destruction, but also for  the immense amount of video that exists of the exact moment when the killer wave washed ashore. This was a singularly well-filmed catastrophe, and the shocking videos give a very real sense of the sheer, unstoppable force of nature as a black wall of water surges inland, smashing and carrying away everything in its path. Houses and warehouses are literally ripped from their foundations as the water rises, only to float away with helpless inhabitants trapped inside. Cars, trucks, and boats are tossed about like toys by the raging torrents of churning water.
     As the water receded, it left a surreal, post-apocalyptic landscape in its wake. The earth stripped bare and muddy where towns once stood. The splintered wreckage of houses reduced to little more than piles of kindling. Perhaps most heart-breaking of all were the mud-splattered personal belongings—a photograph here; a child’s schoolbag there. It was these items that spoke loudest of the loss of futures; the death of dreams.
     Equally unforgettable were the looks on the faces of the survivors: shock, bewilderment, grief. The strength of the Japanese character was always apparent, however, as evidenced by the way they immediately worked together to help one another, maintained order, and refrained from preying on each other in a time when so many were so vulnerable. So many have lost so much that can never be recovered: their loved ones, homes, possessions and businesses. The wounds will take a long time to heal, but Japan, as a nation, will recover.