Survivors in one city say all their years of emergency drills did not prepare them for what happened. Their city is totally wiped out.
The five story hospital is one of a handful of buildings that are still standing. It now has a fishing boat on its 2nd story. The hospital staff said they were only able to get patients out of the 4th floor. People on the lower floors were swept away by the tsunami.
NHK reporting that several monitoring sites around Tokyo are reporting radiation levels increasing as much as 22 times normal levels.
People are being told not to drink well water, or tap water. Also, do not eat food that was outside.
Reuters is reporting that the French Embassy in Tokyo, is expecting a radioactive wind to hit Tokyo within 10 hours. The wind shifted to the south, and is expected to shift to the west later in the day.
Fire in reactor 4 is being reported as out, by the plant officials. Official say there is evidence of a hydrogen explosion in reactor 4.
Wildfires continue spreading across Japan. Firefighters in one area had to use emergency drinking water to fight a fire. A JSDF sergeant told reporters that his rescue unit is without food and water.
In an NHK ‘explainer’ it was explained how difficult it is to cool down nuclear fuel rods. It takes 3 to 4 years to cool down spent fuel rods, under normal conditions. This shows that the current situation could become Chernobyl like.
NHK reporting that reactor 2, Fukushima plant 1, exploded when workers tried to open closed valves. Plant officials say highly possible that fuel rods are melting.
RT reporting that the fire in reactor 4 was a result of an explosion. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says probably caused by hydrogen gas build up.
More reasons for confusing radiation level reporting. Officials are giving readings for each reactor, not for the whole plant. The problem is that there are 6 reactors at Fukushima plant 1. 4 reactors are now spewing radiation.
Radiation levels from just one reactor has reached levels that cause immediate and noticeable damage to humans. There are reports of people showing signs of radiation sickness.
Prefectures more than 240km from Fukushima plant 1, have reported increases in radiation readings.
Nuclear plant officials say they were successful in replacing pump motors on other reactors, which is resulting in dropping temperatures.
Japanese are now being told not to collect rain, or snow, because it could be contaminated with radiation.
This will make the problem of lack of drinking water even worse.
NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is reporting that the confusion over radiation levels is because reports were made sometimes in microsieverts, other times in millisieverts.
1 millisievert equals 1000 microsieverts. 1 rem equals 10 millisieverts. 1 millirem equals 10 microsieverts.
There was more confusion during the nuclear plant official’s press conference. Reporters wanted clarification because the Prime Minister had just announced radiation levels were dangerously high, yet nuclear plant officials continued to down play the levels.
Local government officials complained to the media that nuclear plant officials and the national government are not communicating with local officials. Reporters asked plant officials how they were notifying people, and local governments, of the evacuation orders. They answered they were using radio broadcasts. This is not practical because most people have lost everything including radios. If they have radios, there is no power to run them.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, said, in regards to getting indoors, if people are inside at their workplace, they should stay there. If you are already inside stay where ever you are.
Officials now say that they are focusing on putting out fire at reactor 4. Fire is more serious than the earlier explosions.
Reactor 1 & 3 still being flooded with sea water. Reactor 2 can not be flooded after its explosion, a short while ago.
Officials continue to ask people to get inside. Adding that if you have laundry hanging up outside to leave it. Take off shoes.
This continued stressing of getting inside tells me this is really bad!
Live press conference; official indicating more explosions possible, because they said they are working to “…prevent further explosions”.
Reporters asking for officials to clarify radiation level reporting, because they use different terminology each time in regards to levels officially reported.
Officials now saying get inside, try to get inside concrete buildings. Telling people to “dust off” themselves before going inside.