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The Times Leader A WAVE OF DEVASTATION timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE, PA
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2011
50¢
AP PHOTOS
Houses swallowed by tsunami waves burn in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, after Japan was struck Friday by a strong earthquake off its northeastern coast.
Magnitude 8.9 quake is followed by tsunami By JAY ALABASTER Associated Press
SENDAI, Japan — Huge earthquakes rocked northeastern Japan today, a day after a giant temblor set off a powerful tsunami that killed hundreds of people, turned the coast into a swampy wasteland and left two nuclear reactors dangerously close to meltdown. The United States Geological Survey said a strong earthquake struck just before noon in the sea
West Coast gets hit by wave
INSIDE: Nuclear reactors creating emergencies, page 2A. For more photos of the destruction, page 7A.
in virtually the same place where the magnitude 8.9 quake on Friday unleashed one of the greatest disasters Japan has witnessed — a 23-foot tsunami that washed far inland over fields and smashed towns. Today’s magnitude 6.8 quake Hotel employees stay low at the hotel’s entrance in Tokyo after a
strong earthquake hit Japan on Friday. The quake also generated tsunamis across the Pacific.
See JAPAN, Page 14A
and safety. The alerts moved faster than the waves, giving millions of people across the Pacific Rim CRESCENT CITY, Calif. — hours to prepare. The warnings traveled quickly In the end, harbors and mariacross the Pacific in the middle nas in California and Oregon of the night: An 8.9-magnitude bore the brunt of the damage, earthquake in Japan spawned a estimated by authorities to be in deadly tsunami, and it was racing east Friday as fast as a jetlin- the millions of dollars. Boats crashed into each other, some er. vessels were pulled out to sea Sirens blared in Hawaii. The West Coast pulled back from the and docks were ripped out. Rescue crews searched for a shoreline, fearing the worst. man who was swept out to sea People were warned to stay away from the beaches. Fishermen took their boats out to sea See TSUNAMI, Page 7A By JEFF BARNARD and JAYMES SONG Associated Press
MARCH FLOODING
Less rainfall leads to lower river levels
Huntsville Creek flows over banks
Variation of 3 feet saves some homes and businesses from being inundated. By EDWARD LEWIS and STEVE MOCARSKY elewis@timesleader.com smocarsky@timesleader.com
With less rainfall than expected up north, the forecast for the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre changed on Friday. Luzerne County Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Bekanich said the river may crest around 28 feet early Saturday afternoon. Earlier river forecasts had the river cresting at 31 feet in Wilkes-Barre. A variation of 3 feet makes a big difference regarding the impact of flooding. If the river had reached 31 feet, some homes in Duryea,
INSIDE A NEWS: Local 3A Obituaries 8A Editorial 13A B SPORTS: Baseball 3B Business 8B Weather 10B C AT HOME: Birthdays 4C Crossword 7C Funnies 8C D CLASSIFIED
By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@timesleader.com
AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER
The river runs above flood stage at the Market Street Bridge as seen from the fifth floor of the GUARD Building on Friday.
West Pittston and the Brookside section of Wilkes-Barre would have been inundated. Fewer properties are impacted at a level of 28 feet. At that height, sections roads are covered and houses near the
river sustain basement flooding. Jim Brozena, executive director for the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, said the earlier river forecast involved rainfall of 2 to 3
inches and an inch or more of runoff from snow melt in the upper Susquehanna River basin. The National Weather SerSee FLOODING, Page 14A
JACKSON TWP. – Most major streams and creeks in Luzerne County stayed within their channels except for Huntsville Creek, which flooded Hillside Road and a section of Chase Road near the five corners at the Huntsville Dam. Township Supervisor John Jay Wilkes said the creek began flooding around 2 a.m. Friday due to excess water spilling over the dam. Colleen Stutzman, asSee CREEK, Page 14A
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