Gentle Shaking News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

24 minutes past the hour on this "american morning." we have a special edition here because we have a breaking news situation and a disaster developing on two different fronts. this is happening in japan. it's now nightfall there. and there is an effort underway to try to save as many people right now as they can. this nation was hit by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. it was just off the coast about 80 miles. the rescue is underway right now, but the hospitals are being overwhelmed. elementary schools that are serving as little refuge centers right now. those are already full. take a look at some...

Japan. >> right, northeast of tokyo. unbelievable. and this is where they'll need a lot of their rescue operations obviously if they're able to get people out of there alive. that's something that's actively happening right now as we continue to follow. in the meantime, an american writer and translator living in tokyo at the time. let's listen to his account. >> it was absolutely unlike anything i've ever experienced before. i've been living here for eight years now. and this was quite simply the biggest, longest lasting earthquake i've experienced here. there are earthquakes from time to t...

But it could affect more than just hawaii, as well, as you've been reporting up and down the u.s. coast, as well, in some danger. last note and point i'll make is the president already had a news conference here at the white house for 11:15 eastern time. he wanted, we're told by white house aides, to talk about high gas prices, other big domestic issues, no question he'd get questions about libya. but you can bet this agenda has gotten a whole lot more urgent to say the least t.j. and kiran. >> absolutely. thanks. >> thank you. our reporter in tokyo -- all right. that's our producer talking....

Earth in order to transfer that energy directly to the water column and, of course, with the shaking reaching the populated areas. >> all right. mr. applegate, we appreciate you. i don't think you're going to go too far. we'd like to check back in with you this morning, but thank you. >> sure thing. all the military personnel in japan has been accounted for. our barbara starr live at the pentagon with new information. i know you'd been talking about the u.s. mobilizing for this event. what else is going on? >> we do have additional news. what we now know is that a u.s. navy and air force air...

Shaking went on? >> it was shocking. went on for an extended period of time. at least a minute, maybe two, and the experience was like trying to stand up on a skate board on a carnival ride. unlike anything i've ever experienced in my life. >> tokyo, this was a city of 13 million people. but they're fairly prepared for this. japan is used to, quite frankly, earthquakes no matter how strong. they are prepared. you said tokyo pretty much intact. >> yes. tokyo is in great shape. and i even heard some reports from people who were in skyscrapers downtown. and although there was definitely a little ...