Monday, March 28, 2011

First Hand Account of the Earthquake = At Sea (Mainichi News)


Rubble covers Shogabuta beach -- previously a beautiful bathing spot -- in Shichigahama, Miyagi Prefecture. (Mainichi)
Rubble covers Shogabuta beach -- previously a beautiful bathing spot -- in Shichigahama, Miyagi Prefecture. (Mainichi)

At 2:46 p.m. the boat suddenly started shaking up and down, and several passengers let out screams. The sea was foaming as if it had been struck by torrential rain. After standing still for several minutes, the boat made its way straight to the port in Shiogama, and we scrambled up to the third floor of the Marine Gate Shiogama passenger terminal, where about 200 people had taken shelter.
I think it was about an hour after that that I noticed a change in the sea.
"The water level and flow of the tide has changed, I thought." Several seconds later the tsunami hit.
 
There have been several times during my life over the past six decades that I thought I might die. And living in Shiogama, I should have been well aware of the danger of a quake striking off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. But the tsunami was different from anything I had ever experienced before. Cars, tourist boats and houses were swept away before my eyes. The damage was far greater than anything I could have imagined.
READ FULL STORY HERE 

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