Magnitude 8.9 Strong Earthquake Jolts Northern Japan

These two handout satellite photographs provided by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) of the German Aeropsace Center (DLR) show the city of Soma and surrounding area before (L) and after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 12, 2011 at Soma, Japan. At least 1,800 people are confirmed dead across northeastern Japan and at least two nuclear reactors at the Fukushima facility are facing meltdown.

These two handout satellite photographs provided by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) of the German Aeropsace Center (DLR) show the Iwanuma-Matsushima area before (L) and after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 12, 2011 at Torinoumi, Japan. At least 1,800 people are confirmed dead across northeastern Japan and at least two nuclear reactors at the Fukushima facility are facing meltdown.

This handout satellite photograph provided by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) of the German Aeropsace Center (DLR) shows flooded Sendai Airport after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 12, 2011 at Sendai, Japan. At least 1,800 people are confirmed dead across northeastern Japan and at least two nuclear reactors at the Fukushima facility are facing meltdown

These two handout satellite photographs provided by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) of the German Aeropsace Center (DLR) show the Matsushima Airport and surrounding area before (L) and after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 12, 2011 at Higashi-Matsushima, Japan. At least 1,800 people are confirmed dead across northeastern Japan and at least two nuclear reactors at the Fukushima facility are facing meltdown.

This satellite photograph provided by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) of the German Aeropsace Center (DLR) shows flooded Sendai Airport after the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 12, 2011 at Sendai, Japan. At least 1,800 people are confirmed dead across northeastern Japan and at least two nuclear reactors at the Fukushima facility are facing meltdown.