1||March 14, 2011: In the wake of the largest earthquake to strike Japan in recorded history, the island nation now faces a humanitarian crisis. The tsunami triggered by the massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake washed away neighborhoods, claiming thousands of lives and causing widespread devastation.
Debris floating in a bay in Yamada, Iwate Prefecture completely blotted the water from view. ||Kyodo/Newscom&&
2||The force of the earthquake bent a section of train track in Fukushima, Japan. ||jn1/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
3||Waves up to 30 feet tall slammed coastal towns, completely leveling buildings. ||Kyodo/Newscom&&
4||Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said it was the worst crisis to befall Japan since World War II. ||n39/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
5||Cars and trucks were swept into a heap in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. ||pa9/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
6||In Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, a large fishing boat lay flipped over on its side. ||Kyodo/Newscom&&
7||Several nuclear reactors were damaged by the earthquake, prompting fears of a potential nuclear meltdown. This picture, taken in 2008, shows the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station. ||KYODO/Xinhua/Newscom&&
8||The cooling system was knocked offline at the Fukushima plant, causing a buildup of pressure and, ultimately, the explosion of one of the reactors. These still images from Japanese television station NHK show the plant before (below) and after (above) the explosion. ||NHK/CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Newscom&&
9||Television footage showed smoke billowing from the plant following the explosion. There have been two hydrogen explosions at the plant, sparking fresh concerns about possible radiation leaks. ||CNN&&
10||At least 10,000 people have been confirmed killed in the disaster, with the death toll rapidly rising, and tens of thousands of people still missing. ||CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Newscom&&
11||Houses in Kamaichi, Iwate, Japan were reduced to heaps of rubble. ||jn1/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
12||The 8.9 magnitude earthquake was the fifth largest in the past century. ||jn1/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
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14||The tsunami swept away passenger trains in Shinchi, Fukushima Prefecture. ||x99/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
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16||A few homes stood surrounded by the wreakge in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture. ||n39/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
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19||In some places, the tsunami waves reached as far as three miles inland. ||jn1/ZUMA Press/Newscom&&
20||A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force trooper sifted through the wreckage at the Sendai Airport. ||Natsuki Sakai/ABACAUSA.COM/Newscom&&
21||||Liu Xingzhe/FEATURECHINA/Newscom&&
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23||||KAM KA/CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Newscom&&
24||A woman walked through the remains of a neighborhood in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture. ||KAM KA/CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Newscom&&
25||Japanese troops conducted a search and rescue operation in Miyagi Prefecture. ||Natsuki Sakai/AFLO/Newscom&&
26||Waves pushed vehicles into a pile at the Sendai Airport. ||Natsuki Sakai/AFLO/Newscom&&
27||The tsunami flooded the Sendai Airport, washing away planes and vehicles and splintering structures. ||Natsuki Sakai/AFLO/Newscom&&
28||||Natsuki Sakai/AFLO/Newscom&&
29||||FOREST LU/FEATURECHINA/Newscom&&
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31||Black smoke rose over Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture one day after the earthquake hit. The quake sparked widespread fires across the region. ||Kyodo/Newscom&&
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35||||Lui Siu Wai/Xinhua/Photoshot/Newscom&&
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