Hitting Noda News Today

It. >> what did you think? >> unreal. >> thats all for this edition this cant be happening. are you sure its where zach is? are you sure its in the same region? of "dateline." im craig melvin. thank you for watching. we were looking at maps, and im craig melvin. >> and im natalie morales. everything was pointing to, >> and this is "dateline." yeah, its exactly where zach is. >> everything just began to >> we just prayed. shake. >> enormous waves you see here i just kept asking where is she, we...

Sip of their morning tea when the news jolted them away. >> this was a very powerful earthquake. the images are stunning out of japan. >> an epic earthquake had hit northern japan, 9.0, near the top end of the richter scale. and then a huge tsunami crashing up the coast. it was like watching a disaster movie. this one horribly real, and john and terrys son, zach, was now right in the middle of it. what did you think? >> unreal. this cant be happening. are you sure its where zach is? and we were ...

>> this cant be happening. are you sure its where zach is? friday morning, march 11th, 2011. in nashville, indiana, john and terry whitcomb had barely had a sip of their morning tea when the news jolted them away. >> this was a very powerful earthquake. the images are stunning out of japan. >> an epic earthquake had hit northern japan, 9.0, near the top end of the richter scale. and then a huge tsunami crashing up the coast. it was like watching a disaster movie. this one horribly real, and jo...

And terrys son zac was now right in the middle of it. >> unreal. this cant be happening. are you sure its where zac is? are you sure its in the same region? and we were looking at maps and, you know, everything was pointing to, yeah, its exactly where zac is. >> so we just prayed. >> enormous waves you see here were hitting noda, kuji, the towns where zac and georgia were teaching. the frantic calls began, to no avail. >> and what happened? >> it would say all circuits are busy and that youd get...

Were hitting noda and kuji, the towns where zach and georgia were teaching. the frantic calls began, to no avail. >> what happened when you tried his phone? >> it would say all circuits are busy and youd get a busy signal. >> then the minutes went by. >> uh-huh. >> then an hour and two hours. what did that feel like? >> hell. >> as a parent, you never think, oh, my child has been killed. you dont think that. you just wait. you just wait and pray for the best. >> remember, zach had wanted to come...

In nashville, indiana, john and terry whitcomb had barely had a sip of their morning tea when the news jolted them awake. >> this is a very powerful earthquake. the images are stunning out of japan. >> an epic earthquake hit northern japan, 9.0, near the top end of the richter scale. then a huge tsunami crashing up thcoast. it was like watching a disaster movi this one horribly real. and john and terrys son zach was now right in the middle of it. >> what did you think? >> unreal. this cant be ha...

Were hitting noda and kuji, the towns where zach and georgia were teaching. the frantic calls began, to no avail. >> what happened when you tried his phone? >> it would say all circuits are busy and youd get a busy signal. >> then the minutes went by. >> uh-huh. >> then an hour and two hours. what did that feel like? >> hell. >> as a parent, you never think, oh, my child has been killed. out dont think that. you just wait. you just wait and pray for the best. >> remember, zach had wanted to come...

Aftershock and more sue nam any sirens. but then zach found her, and together they looked at what was left of the town. georgia took these pictures. 38 people lost their lives in noda, a tiny percentage of the more than 18,000 who died up sand down the coast rngts but half of noda was simply gone. >> it was like someone had driven a bulldozer through and it was all gone. how a wave can do that, i dont know. >> lifting complete houses up off their foundations, so all that was left the shell -- >>...

2011. in nashville, indiana, john and terry whitcomb had barely had a sip of their morning tea when the news jolted them awake. >> this is a very powerful earthquake. the images are stunning out of japan. >> an epic earthquake hit northern japan, 9.0, near the top end of the richter scale. then a huge tsunami crashing up the coast. it was like watching a disaster movie, this one horribly real. and john and terrys son zach was now right in the middle of it. >> what did you see? >> unreal. this ca...

Looked it up on the map, well, it wasnt far away, but we just -- >> it was even closer to the coast. >> it was closer to the coast. >> wondering what he might find. he was over there by himself and what would he do if he didnt find her. it was all those things. >> zach hopped in his car and began the eight-mile drive down the winding road from kuji to noda. >> as i come down the hill, i start noticing people are walking on the side of the road, no cars, theyre just walking. whole families walkin...