Video: Japanese tsunami video from ground level

This clip shows the first wave come in, followed by the much bigger wave that came in a few minutes later. It’s taken from right down at beach level. Having watched it a couple of times, it’s good to watch the first minute or two to see where everything started out, then skip ahead to around five minutes to see how everything gets swamped and rearranged, and then move ahead to catch the last 90 seconds or so.  That’s when the cameraman has to beat a hasty retreat, or get overrun and washed away.

The toll from this disaster currently stands at 11,500 killed, more than 16,000 missing. Among the most heart-breaking aspects is the number of children who have been left as orphans. Their numbers are estimated to be in the hundreds. Many are young school kids, kindergarteners and first graders, who were at school awaiting their parents when the disaster struck. One or, in many cases both parents, were just never seen again.