Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio: Brian Williams) The earthquake and tsunami in Japan introduced; maps and scenes shown.

(Tokyo: Kaori Enjoji) The disaster in Japan reviewed; scenes shown of shaking buildings, people dodging falling debris, fires, the tsunami wave, a whirlpool, the wall of water, the flooded Sendai airport; details given of concern about the Fukushima nuclear plant and the impact on transportation. [Voice of American University PROFESSOR – describes the tremors.]

(Studio: Brian Williams) TV news anchors in Japan shown wearing hardhats during their broadcasts.

(Studio: Brian Williams; Tokyo: Arata Yamamoto) The 30-second advance warning via Japanese television about the quake, the current situation in Japan and the damage in Tokyo discussed; scenes shown.

(London: Anne Thompson) The disturbing development with trouble at nuclear power plants at Fukushima featured; details given of problems with the reactors.

(Studio: Brian Williams) Report introduced.

(Washington: Tom Costello) The forces that created the earthquake examined; map of the Pacific Ring of Fire string of seismic activity shown; diagrams shown of the tectonic plates surrounding Japan, the subduction process and the tsunami; NOAA diagrams of wave height projections shown.

(Studio: Brian Williams) Japan’s propensity for earthquakes noted; map shown of aftershocks. Live interview held with USGS seismologist Lucy Jones† about the disaster. [From Pasadena, California, JONES – talks about the USGS measuring system; predicts disruption to Japan’s social system; states getting the fires and nuclear systems under control are important issues.]

(Santa Cruz, California: Miguel Almaguer) The impact of the tsunami on the West Coast of the US featured; details given about the death of a California man swept away by the surge and evacuation orders in Oregon and Washington; scenes shown of damaged boats in Santa Cruz; photos shown of flooding and damage in Hawaii.