Tsunami Aftermath; Sendai, Japan: Sendai_s-Wave-Of-Sorrow01

When a 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on March 11, 2011, most of Sendai survived the shaking. But then about 20 minutes later, a powerful tsunami swept ashore, obliterating homes, businesses and farms. The death toll surpassed 25,000 and about 90,000 homes were destroyed. A month after the disaster, residents of the Sendai area begin to clean up, cope and salvage their lives. A Sendai firefighter walks through a debris field searching for victims in the Arahama ward of Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture. Sendai is a sister-city of Riverside, Calif. (The Press-Enterprise/ Mark Zaleski)

When a 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on March 11, 2011, most of Sendai survived the shaking. But then about 20 minutes later, a powerful tsunami swept ashore, obliterating homes, businesses and farms. The death toll surpassed 25,000 and about 90,000 homes were destroyed. A month after the disaster, residents of the Sendai area begin to clean up, cope and salvage their lives. A Sendai firefighter walks through a debris field searching for victims in the Arahama ward of Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture. Sendai is a sister-city of Riverside, Calif. (The Press-Enterprise/ Mark Zaleski)