An 8.9 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that slammed Japans shore wiping out entire neighborhoods and highways as far as six miles from the coast.
"If you feel an earthquake every three or four weeks, or every month or two -- that's great because you know the earth is releasing energy and you're not going to have a big one. Now, if you don't feel one every three or four months then you begin to kind of wonder whether or not a big one is on the way," said Dr. Paul Clark, W.T.A.M.U. Associate History Professor.
Aside from the national footage, it's hard to get a grasp about how devastating this act of mother nature was.
"Trying to get aide into the most heavily damaged areas will be difficult. it will be difficult to turn off all the natural gas and to make things safe from fires and those sorts of things. Right now people who live there are just thinking where am I going to get food and how am I going to protect myself from the elements."
Clark says that more than likely the Japanese will rebuild as soon as they are able to.
He also says once relief for Japan is available -- like through the Red Cross -- that we should do are best to donate if possible.
