No, THIS is the scariest video of the tsunami you've ever seen.

[Bonobo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHhpdieZc5Q

It is from Kamaishi City. The people rushed into the City Hall. It is like nothing you have ever seen outside of a disaster film.

Even after all the video I have seen, this is striking.

25,000 people died.

Imagine 25,000 Americans dying in one day.

It boggles the mind how much destruction happened that day and I will never forget watching it unfold one morning, March 11. At first, it seemed like just another thing, the water came in slowly, ships slowly started drifting... it did not at first seem that it could be so huge. Then, then, it unfolded like a slow-motion nightmare... the kind where you can't escape from the monster chasing you because your legs don't work right.

[Bluebear]

1. Oh my good god.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. don't just stand there watching. RUN! Upstairs! Quickly! omg

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. Oh my god

[Poll_Blind]

4. My god, if it's one thing seeing these videos have taught me it's...

...never look back, never stop running as hard as you can and never stop climbing.

My god...

PB

[Art_from_Ark]

5. I think this video of Minami Sanriku Town

is the scariest one I've seen.　

Warning: It is not for the faint of heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZR0Rq1Rfw

[Bonobo]

6. Wow. You're right.

kotoba ga denai.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. It's even scarier when you look at a map of Minami Sanriku

and realize just how hopeless the situation would have been between the elevated railroad line (seen in the background in the first part of the video) and the bay (which was about a half mile beyond that).

I think it was NHK that reported that as a result of schools being on much higher ground (the video was taken from a high school, and other schools were on raised ground across the valley) that Minami Sanariku had a higher proportion of orphans than other stricken areas. NHK also had an interview with an orphaned Minami Sanriku high school student who said that the best way he could honor the memory of his parents would be to study hard and get into a university. It was very emotional.

[Bonobo]

11. Yeah, look at this map/photo:

[Art_from_Ark]

12. Excellent aerial view of the town

The high school from where the video was filmed is not marked on that photo, but it is on the far left side about 2/3 of the way up. The place where the tsunami water first appeared in the video appears to have been roughly in the center of the picture, just below Shizukawa Junior High School. You can really get a feel for the hopeless situation that much of this town was in. :cry:

[joshcryer]

15. Knot in my throat watching that, couldn't even comment at the time.

Had to let the imagery rest in my mind a bit (over a few hours). Can't sleep thinking about it. :(

[Art_from_Ark]

19. That video had such an impact on me

that I sent a "Care package" directly to the Minami Sanriku town hall.

[Renew Deal]

7. I don't know. I still think this one is pretty terrifying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct9GEaWAmJg

[Bosonic]

16. I found this one to be the most unsettling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQfdl7y-blE

Probably because it's from a fixed vantage point, it really emphasizes the relentless build up of water.

[hunter]

8. It's going to be a long time before I sleep peacefully near the ocean again.

:(

[KingFlorez]

9. Devastating

That is all I can say.

[JohnnyRingo]

13. I wasn't surprised when the videographer found a staircase going up.

I know he wanted to catch the moment on an MPEG, but he couldn't have known at that time how much water was coming his way. I would have been hailing a west bound cab with a fistful of yen in my hand.

[joshcryer]

14. Equivalent to 60,000 Americans. :(

Population-wise.

[PotatoChip]

17. OMG how awful!

Those poor people.

[Oilwellian]

18. The video was switched to private

I wasn't able to see it.