In our 7th grade social studies class |
10:45 pm March 10 2011, we arrive at Sendai National Airport in Sendai,Japan.Us. As family of four, have always wanted to visit japan and now our dreams have became a reality. We catch a cab right after we get out of the airport to the hotel.It's late when we unpack and decide to get some good nights rest for the upcoming day.But little did we know what lie ahead the next morning. We get up late, around 10:15 am, eager to visit the local attractions. By 12:28 we've eaten and are setting off to the the Sendai Mediatheque. It was amazing were there until 5:13, spending most of the time at the shopping level. My mom decides we should to go back to the hotel for, to rest a minute.At 5:46 it happens.It starts out as a low rumble, then intensifies into a loud, powerful earthquake that shakes the hotel knocking over shelves drawers, lamps,etc.we take shelter under the table hoping the building wont collapse. The power goes off and we close our eyes in fear.After 5 minutes the quake ceases. All is silent except for a siren in the background.Noise begins to gradually incline when the intercom comes on in the hotel telling us to remain calm and that we will be evacuated. Only minuets after the earthquake stops we hear another siren. We hold on for another earthquake that never came. An intercom comes on over the city, then in our hotel after they announce the message in Japanese they repeat it in English,"A tsunami is headed towards the city of Sendai,please proceed to high ground!". We run to the roof to find five other families there, looking out in the direction of the sea with an apprehensive look on there face.When I looked, I understood why. a wall of water enveloped the land. Cars, houses, billboards, dumpsters ,ect was swept away without exertion. A wretched sight it was, people floating dead in the murky water while others where trying to save themselves from the disastrous waves. At the building next to us a kid my age was trapped on a roof fixing to be taken under by the rising waters i call attention to him. we try to find something to save him but it was too late. As minutes pass and we watch as the destruction rises and few buildings survive. Although, we stay alive. By 7:00 the tsunami slows down and starts to reseed. Small and large aftershocks scare us for hours. We receive help from a helicopter and are brought to a shelter for tsunami survivors. We stay the night there but you could hardly say we slept knowing what happened that day. As the next few days go on we do nothing but watch the news as the death-toll goes up and more destruction is found. the death toll is above 10,000 and rising the damage 300,000,000,000,$.by March 18 we catch a flight back home. When we get home I hop straight in bed and go to sleep. |