california that have been called upon in so many tragedies, will be moving out into the stricken towns. an indication just how desperate the japanese are for aid, in the 1995 earthquake there where 6,000 people died, the japanese refused most foreign aid. this time they are accepting aid from even rivals like china and south korea. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >> that is certainly telling. now, at ground level, as you can imagine, it is hard to exactly take in the size and scope of the destruction in japan. abc's christiane amanpour has a different perspective after taking an aerial tour. >> reporter: with search and rescue under way in the earthquake and tsunami zone, we wondered how much of the country is affected by this kind of chaos and destruction. the helicopters taking on fuel and we're going up to the sendai earthquake zone. japan is not a massive country. but part of that sendai area is quite remote. some the roads have been damaged. there are mountains in the greater area around there. that's hampering not just assessment but also relief and the delivery of supplies. on the hour-long ride to the city of sendai, near the epicenter, little evidence of the earthquake, much of the countryside appears unscathed. but as the chopper turns to the coast, the full extent of the devastation reveals itself. huge swaths of land along the coast remain under water. we fly past this massive plume of black smoke, billowing 3,000 feet into the air. the petrochemical plant below has been burning since the earthquake struck. and oil is spilling into the water. the government says it's already rescued 12,000 people and now the day has broken, new operations will get under way. but bad weather is predicted in the worst hit areas and that could hamper those operations. in addition, this country remains on high nuclear alert as the country races to cool down two of its nuclear reactors. christiane amanpour, abc news, tokyo. and our coverage of the earthquake disaster continues later in this half hour with our first look at a japanese coastal town that has been leveled. and stay tuned for "america this morning" and also a live report from diane sawyer who's in japan, featured later today on "good morning america." turning to other headlines this monday morning, beginning with the military advances being made by government forces in libya. moammar gadhafi's fighters have now forced rebels from one of their final strongholds along libya's coast. that advance leaves the rebels in control of just one more major city between gadhafi's army and the rebel stronghold of benghazi. also a powerful explosion at a chemical plant in suburban boston, injuring four workers at the plant in middleton and shook houses more than a mile away. the explosion damaged two buildings in the complex and debris was widespread. now the neighbors are worried about the air and water quality because the plant makes plastics and adhesives. we've learned of another young athlete who has died while playing. this time it was a basketball tournament in austin, texas. 17-year-old robert garza collapsed and died shortly afterward at the hospital. his friends and family are simply trying to make sense of the tragedy. >> it's just mind-boggling, shocking, shocking. >> what bother me, you know, it would worry -- it would worry me a lot. why would that happen to a teenager? why at that age? i mean, you expect that from an older person. not from such a young kid. >> several other high school athletes have collapsed and died this month, including wes leonard, star basketballer from a small town in michigan. >> unbelievable. well, apple's iphone is the top selling smartphone but it apparently lost the ability to perform one of its basic functions, telling time. instead of springing forward, some iphones actually fell back an hour. the glitch put them two hours off, causing users to miss church and also other sunday morning activities. was that, you rob? iphone's botched the time change back in november and the alarm function on new year's day. this glitch happened in iphones provided by both verizon and at&t. so, nobody getting all up about at&t versus verizon. >> losing an hour on this shift is -- >> it was a bit tough, that's for sure. here's a look at your monday forecast. heavy rain from tennessee to carolinas. a mix of rain and snow from st. louis to central illinois. some rain from seattle to portland and mountain snow in the rockies. >> mostly 50s from seattle to salt lake. also a hot 86 in phoenix. 38 degrees in minneapolis. 35 in fargo. 45 in kansas city. 48 in new york. and 70s from new orleans to atlanta. well, we could all use a sweet story this morning. zookeepers are hoping for a love match this week in hungary. >> you're not into animals but come on, take a look at these guys. two snow leopards have been brought in as part of a new breeding program. wildlife experts would like to increase their numbers and move them closer from being off the endangered species list. >> for now, though, the pair is being kept apart to get used to the new surroundings. later this week they will be brought together and zookeepers are hoping for some love at first sight. >> yeah, how do you get two snow leopards in the mood? sort of, you know, help them in the mood. >> chocolate, bottle of wine. >> barry white. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." white. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now." back to our top story. the disaster in the pacific. many towns were simply washed away by the tsunami, including one port town hit particularly hard. >> the small town of minamisanriku is now missing more than half its population and thousands are feared dead. the bbc's alastair leithead was one of the first tv journalists to reach the town and filed this report. >> reporter: from the air it just looked unreal. but close up, the true impact the wave had here on homes, shops, whole neighborhoods is overwhelming. for mile after mile, the tsunami flattened everything. throwing cars aside, pulverizing houses and dragging the debris far inland. 10,000 people are still unaccounted for here. more than half the town is missing. the roads are only now being cleared and the phone lines are down. this family did make it out in time. they came back and were shocked by the damage. "i was in the car with my daughter when everything began to shake violently," she told me. "we rushed back to the house, grabbed a few bags." they then drove up and out of town, just before the tsunami struck. this is just one small cove, one tiny inlet we've been able to get to along this vast length of coastline struck by the tsunami. you can get a sense of the power of the wave, crushing this car, slamming it into a wall. another one on its roof and buildings picked up and dragged by the power of the water up the valley. this is the impact in this small area alone. imagine this many, many times over. houses where people are living, and you get a sense of just how much japan has to deal with. hundreds of those who made it to safety were sheltering at a local school sports hall. their homes and possessions lost, nowhere to go. they both read and told more stories of lucky escapes. >> translator: i watched everything. the wave came in and i saw it hit the concrete breakwater. it was just flicked aside and the water rushed inland. houses were washed away and the wave almost reached us, high above the village. >> reporter: japan is prepared for earthquakes and even tsunamis. their evacuation plans, no doubt, saved lives but this was so big, so powerful and so devastating, the number of dead will just continue to rise. alastair leithead, bbc news, minamisanriku village, japan. >> the pictures really do tell the story as we see more examples of just the utter devastation there. so many people, can't find their loved ones, their homes are gone. >> looking for food, shelter, temperatures near freezing. it couldn't get worse. on top of everything else, there was another tsunami warning just hours ago late on sunday night. ended up not being much of anything, thank goodness. >> and the aftershocks, too. 300 aftershocks have been reported that are just continually going on and on and on. we're staying on top of those stories as well. when we come back, an emotional side to this story. loved ones separated by disaster reunited after an unforgettable ordeal. you're watching "world news now." unforgettable ordeal. you're watching "world news now." the overall figures from the disaster in the pacific are changing daily, as you can expect. we do know, though, there are thousands dead and thousands more missing and feared dead. >> amongst all of the horror and devastation in japan, there are still moments that give us all hope. david muir has the story. >> reporter: in this dramatic new video, watch as a rescue team pulls a small boy and his grandmother from their destroyed home, reuniting them with their family. you can hear loved ones calling out his name, about to have their little boy back. this mother waited 24 hours to find out if her little girl survived. waiting in agony, holding back tears as her child was brought to her across the floodwaters and put into her arms. she says, "i don't know how many hours it's been, just glad to hours it's been," just glad to have her daughter back. this family frantically looking for a loved one when suddenly a scream from the distance. their long wait ended with shouts of "so glad." this woman, her home sitting off in the distance, moved by the tsunami, just wanted her mother back. she's told to rush to a nearby elementary school, a shelter. as the camera follows her, she asks, "where is everyone? have you seen my mom?" she checks the first room. her mother not there. she goes to the next room and turns the corner. finally, mother and daughter reunited. >> unbelievable. when you see that it gives you goosebumps and brings tears to your eyes because you see how horrible it must be to be missing your loved ones. also the u.s. military has dubbed their operations -- assistance "operation tomodachi" which means friendship. assistance "operation tomodachi" which means friendship. ip. are switching from tylenol® to advil. here's one story. my name is jose. i'm from california and i'm a messenger and deliver all over the place. so there's times i'm just climbing in and out of the van, feel your hands hurting, you feel your back hurting. i used to take tylenol. i switched to advil. been using it ever since. and when the pain is gone and you feel good and you feel healthy... work or pleasure, i can go on with my life. [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil®. ♪ 36 million bucks at the box office for "battle: l.a." a lot of people saw it over the weekend. i also saw it over the weekend. you did not see a movie over the weekend. slacker. >> i was working some overtime. i forego the movie this weekend. >> we'll go ahead and give you a pass this weekend. let me fill you in. first and foremost, nobody in my family would see this movie with me. my mom wouldn't go, husband wouldn't go. i almost took a baby with me. i was the only chick in the whole place. this is a guy's movie. let me tell you what this is about. i can't really tell you what it's about. it's so much cg action, explosions, fire. the gist is aliens come to santa monica beach in the form of meteors, explode because they want our water. the rest is action and explosions. if you're into that, you'll really like it. take a listen. >> at 1446 pacific standard time 12 different locations across the globe were breached in what appears to have been a coordinated attack by unknown enemy. this is a textbook military invasion. we are the last offensive force on the west coast. we cannot lose los angeles. >> that looks good. that looks good. >> because you're a dude, you're a guy, into the whole thing. >> i like a little more story line, a little more action. i did like aaron eckhart. he can do no wrong. if you're into dialogue, a story line, you won't like it. it's all about action sequences. take another look at the movie. >> just a dog. >> oh, just a little doggy. it's just a dog. >> dog. >> dog. >> dog. >> what's his name, huh? glenn. you're kidding me? who's the idiot naming dogs these days. what do you want to call him, fido. >> duck down! >> watch your head! >> where did they come from? >> how do we get out of here? lieutenant, where's the exit at? >> incoming! >> i don't know. >> can you see why i didn't say this was a chick flick? >> i like it. >> this is not a chick flick. the dog sequence, that's the longest amount of dialogue and then back into explosions. willis also saw it. you loved it. >> a man's movie. go see it. >> three stars. i know some of you will love it. if you like dialogue, you'll hate it. bring earplugs. so loud. this morning on "world news now" -- power plant blast. another explosion today at a nuclear plant posing a huge health threat in japan. >> this morning the intensified radiation scare after friday's devastating earthquake. it is monday, march 14th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." and good monday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm peggy bunker. we're hearing this morning this could be among the costliest disasters of all time. the pictures from the air tell the whole story about the widespread destruction. we're going to get the very latest on the japan quake's economic toll. also ahead in this half hour, nuclear experts here in this country are now looking very carefully at how much risk power plants might face, those near earthquake fault lines. what's happening in japan could be a major wake-up call for us. you hear people, my god, if the big one hits california or something like that. certainly, this is another example of what we have to fear in this country as well. >> considering nuclear power, that's right. coming up later, the difficulty many americans had getting out of japan after surviving such an ordeal. it's a story told at many u.s. airports all weekend long. people there reconnecting. you can imagine the relief to get home. >> the lucky few. first, the unfolding nuclear crisis in japan. there has been a second hydrogen explosion at stricken fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >> the japanese authority say radiation levels have exploded and within legal limits, however. diana alvear has the latest. from narita, japan. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. what happened earlier today is just a sign of how fluid and how dangerous the situation still is for japan. reports of a second explosion at that nuclear facility and a possible second tsunami did little to ease the fears of those still living through this ongoing nuclear crisis. within seconds the scene in sendai changed dramatically. officials reported another explosion at the fukushima nuclear facility. >> we are at a reactor tipping point. either over the next 24 to 48 hours they'll get control of these reactors or they'll get meltdown at one or more reactors. a completely unprecedented situation. >> reporter: minutes earlier, warnings of a possible second tsunami, a false alarm, but no less frightening. the impact of the explosion was not immediately clear but the message from survivors of the initial disaster was. s.o.s., help. however, the mission to deliver that help has not been easy. one dramatic rescue was successful. elderly passengers pulled from their car, where they had been trapped for 20 hours with no food or water. but for too many, it's too late. hundreds of bodies have washed ashore, thousands more still missing. homes merely memories. those who survived are finding basic necessities nearly impossible to buy. this mother says, i was so stressed that i could not produce breast milk. i didn't know what to feed my baby. i didn't want her to get dehydrated. i'm so glad i could buy her formula. where they'll go from here, they don't know. the force of friday's tsunami swept away entire communities, leaving nothing to come home to. and i just want to take a moment to talk about these aftershocks. they've been constant and they've been powerful. in fact, a couple of hours ago, we literally felt like we were surfing on dry land. that's how powerful these aftershocks have been. and if they're feeling this way in narita, we can't imagine how powerful they are in sendai. rob, peggy. >> absolutely. a lot of people wondering about that. we've heard about so many aftershocks. just incessant. >> hundreds of them. more than 180,000 people have been evacuated now due to the nuclear threat. >> and as we've heard, the disaster is hitting the economy very, very hard there. akiko fujita is joining us now from an evacuation center in fukushima. akiko, we've heard about the economic toll this earthquake is having already. what is being done today in all of this? >> reporter: well, you're right, you know, shocks from the quake has extended to the markets. japan's benchmark nikkei fell 6.3% in the first session since the quake hit. that prompted the central bank to line up a record $183 billion in funds to stabilize the banking system. when you look at the numbers, the economic toll, it really is just frightening. the insurance cost of the quake alone expected to reach $35 billion. we have heard companies like sony, toyota, panasonic shuttering production lines. you can imagine, rob, just how far along we'll feel the effects on the economy out here. >> and also, akiko, we understand you're at an evacuation center. how serious is the radiation threat there, especially after the explosion at the nuclear plant. we've heard about iodine tablets being administered. what are you hearing? >> reporter: the residents who have evacuated, they're taking this all in stride. the government is really having to walk this fine line between reassuring people but also being very frank with them about the threat. you mentioned the explosion at the reactor earlier today. that did not change radiation levels, at least that's what we're hearing officially. people out here getting tested for radiation just as a precaution. most of these people just can't go home at this point, so they are staying in this evacuation center with all the blankets just lined up and just waiting to hear what's next. >> almost 200,000 people evacuated. a frightening thought. as this drama continues to play out with the nuclear plants. we know you've been based in tokyo for much of this. when you travel outside of that area, though, what kinds of things are you seeing as the scope of this becomes a little clearer? >> reporter: one of the things we've really noticed is this constant search for resources. this is away from the evacuation center. we're on the road. we're seeing lines everywhere. we saw lines for food. people lining up for a convenience store that essentially has no power, barely any food left on the shelves but they're trying to grab anything they can because they realize this isn't just a crisis that is one week or two weeks. they realize they're in it for the long haul. and people waiting for gas and water. just lines and just shortage of resources really starting to get to these people out here. >> we're hearing that too. thank you so much. abc's akiko fujita reporting live from evacuation center in northern japan. help from the u.s. is arriving in the quake zone. urban search and rescue teams from fairfax, virginia, and los angeles are joining rescuers from japan and other countries. their highly trained dogs are able to detect live victims who might be buried in the debris. the teams landed at a u.s. air base about 150 miles north of sendai. the nuclear fears from this crisis in japan are only raising concerns here in the u.s. what if such a disaster ever hit us here at home? david kerley has more on that. >> reporter: japan had never declared