by ArchitectureWeek

As the world knows, a huge earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and devastating tsunami hit Japan on Friday afternoon, March 11, 2011, with impacts centering in the vicinity of Sendai.

Preliminary estimates of the death toll surpass 10,000 (Reuters). More than eight thousand deaths are confirmed across Japan as of Sunday, 3/20/2011, and a larger number of people are still missing, with the total still rising.

"Many areas of the town are simply gone" in Sendai (CNN) and other communities. Major tsunami damage is reported for a length of 500 km (over 300 miles) along the northeastern Japan coastline. To date, though losses due directly to earthquake shaking appear to be significant, the losses from tsunami inundation appear to be very much greater.

Communications are largely down and roads are blocked by debris in much of the disaster area. Water, food, and transportation fuel are in short supply. Nearly all train lines remain shut down in the broad disaster area, and all Shinkansen service northeast from Tokyo was suspended. Japan Rail announced limited national service on Monday.

More than 440,000 people were stated to be in some 2,400 evacuation shelters (NHK) across northeastern Japan, and the actual number may be higher. Nights are cold and heating is in short supply in shelters. Rain and snow has started in the disaster area

People were also still waiting for rescue outdoors a week into the disaster, and in many isolated locations, as many smaller communities and parts of larger communities remained isolated by flooding, debris, and road damage. Thirty-two bridges were currently reported damaged, and 66 landslides were reported (NHK). Widespread debris even hampered helicopter rescues. As of Monday morning, March 14, 2011, 24,000 residents were identified as stranded in 80 isolated locations (NHK).   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE On March 11, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 8.9 or 9.0 struck off the Pacific coast of Japan, near the city of Sendai, producing a massive tsunami. Sendai is pictured here on March 12. Photo: U.S. Navy Extra Large Image SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE Detail photo of tsunami damage near Sendai on the eastern coast of Honshu, Japan's main island. Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord/ U.S. Navy Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.