By THOMAS DURANTE, PAUL BENTLEY and JOHN STEVENS



Shocked: Office workers gather on the sidewalk in downtown Washington



A huge earthquake ripped through the East Coast of America this afternoon, causing terrifying tremors from Washington D.C. to New York.



Buildings in the major cities throughout the north east - including the Pentagon and the White House - had to be evacuated with the 5.8 magnitude earthquake, which originated in Virginia, shaking areas from as far north as Toronto, Canada, and as far south as Anderson in South Carolina.





Thankful: Co-workers Susan Sproul, left, and Susan Davidson hug after evacuating from their building after an earthquake was felt in Baltimore





In Virginia there were reports of damage caused by the quake, while the streets of downtown Washington and New York were filled with thousands of people hauled out of buildings for fear they could collapse.



There were also fears of a nuclear disaster of the kind seen in Japan's Fukushima because the epicentre was just a few miles from two nuclear power plants.





Bad timing: A bride in her wedding dress runs from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan in New York after feeling the terrifying shake





Federal officials said two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County, Virginia, were automatically taken off line by safety systems.



At the Pentagon, it has been reported that staff ran from the building fearing they were under attack.





Crushed: Cars were smashed in Virginia after the huge East Coast earthquake





The 5.9-magnitude tremor struck at about 2pm local time with shallow tremors of about 3.7 miles deep, which is thought to explain why the shaking was so widespread.



The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was half a mile deep and centred near Louisa, Virginia, about 40 miles north west of Richmond.



It is though to have been the strongest quake to hit the Virginia area since 1897.





Wreckage: Pictures show the devastating aftermath of the quake in Virginia







Dangerous: One of the spires , left, of the National Cathedral in Washington is seen missing following the earthquake





Damaged: The spire, left, was smashed by the quake, leaving debris, right, on the floor





Barricaded: US Capitol Police officers secure the streets outside the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.





Precautions: Staff ran from the Pentagon after the earthquake, thinking it was an attack





Open space: Workers stand in Foley Square park in New York after the earthquake





Impact: The earthquake could be felt across the East Coast of America





Ripples: Buildings were evacuated as far away as Toronto, in Canada after the earthquake





Shaken: Live pictures from Washington and New York, which felt the shudder





'It lasted about 10 seconds and was as bad as the Northridge after shock I had experienced while visiting in California. I ran outdoors and found my neighbour calling a friend in Virginia who also felt the profound quake. This quake was like none I ever experienced in the East in my life and I am 76 years old.'



Thomas McGarry, 55, has run a small convenience store kiosk above subway tracks right in front of New York city hall for the last year and a half.



He told MailOnline he was in the kiosk when the quake hit.





Aghast: People who came out on the street after an earthquake look up at a window that cracked during the quake on Market Street in Philadelphia





Calling home: Office workers gather on a sidewalk after their building was evacuated following an earthquake in New York







Damage: A maintenance worker looks for additional cracked windows in a building on Market Street in Philadelphia





'We all looked at each other. I thought the floor was going to cave in,' he said.

He added that it wasn't long before workers at the government buildings on Broadway poured into the street.



'They were flooding out, like on 9/11. We couldn't even get out of the shop to look because we were surrounded.'



Flora Gross, also 55, was working on the fourth floor of a federal office building on church street, just down the street from ground zero, when she felt the tremors.





Calm: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks after the earthquake





Just in case: Children are evacuated from the Jacob K. Javits Federal building in New York





Gathered: People gather for safety in a garden in Lower Manhattan after the earthquake in Virginia was felt in New York





Scared: Suzanne Beatty comforts her son Quentin Beatty, 7, on a street in TriBeCa, New York





'We thought it was construction,' she said. 'But then my daughter called from uptown and said: 'Mummy we just had an earthquake.'



Her husband, who works as a maintenance worker uptown, told her he was on a ladder when the quake hit. 'He thought his legs were giving out before realising the whole building was shaking,' she said.



In Mineral, Virginia, which is four miles from the quake’s centre, residents said there had been extensive damage, with pictures falling off walls and crockery smashing from shelves.





Wrecked: Damage can be seen on the street outside a library in Washington DC





Shattered: Part of the library's roof crumbled during the 5.9 magnitude earthquake





Broken: Cracks appear on the facade of a building on Market Street in downtown Philadelphia





In Charleston, West Virginia, hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave.



‘The whole building shook,’ said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. ‘You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own.’



In Connecticut, play was stopped during a tennis match at the New Haven Open after the stadium on the Yale campus shook.



The umpire stopped the game between Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Elena Vesnina of Russia after spectators felt three waves of shaking and water bottles sloshed back and forth.





Blower: President Obama was busy on the golf course when he heard the news





According to reports, tremors were felt as far away as Toronto, Canada.



On King Street West in Toronto, office workers evacuated buildings. One, named Amanda, told the Toronto News her whole office rolled.



'It was very unnerving,' she said. 'I have no words.'



Social networking site Twitter lit up with reports of the earthquake from people using the site up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard.



‘People pouring out of buildings and onto the sidewalks and Into Farragut Park in downtown DC...,’ tweeted Republican strategist Kevin Madden.



Missouri senator Claire McCaskill tweeted that her staff in Washington was in an ‘emergency location. Hope everyone is OK.’





On holiday: President Barack Obama, second from left, felt the quake while playing golf





Hard at play: President Barack Obama plays the first hole of the Farm Neck Golf Club today



John Gurlach, air traffic controller at the Morgantown Municipal Airport was in a 40-foot-tall tower when the earth trembled.



‘There were two of us looking at each other saying, “What's that?”’ he said, even as a commuter plane was landing. ‘It was noticeably shaking. It felt like a B-52 unloading.’



Not everyone, however, was quite so terrified by the tremors. On Wall Street traders could be heard shouting: 'Carry on trading!' despite the shaking.



No injuries were immediately reported.





5.9 Magnitude Quake Rocks Washington D.C. Region





4.6 Earthquake Hits Colorado & Odd Swarm In The U.S. 8/22/2011





source: dailymail

By EMILY ALLEN

The pleasure boat ''Hamayuri'' washed up on the rooftop of an inn by tsunami and a building have so far been removed in the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, on April 6, top, and on June 3, bottom.


Japan's economy shrank 0.9 percent in the first quarter but recovery is expected between July and September

Just three months ago Japan was plunged into chaos after a cataclysmic earthquake sent a merciless tsunami crashing through towns and cities up and down the east coast.

The unforgiving tide of water obliterated tens of thousands of buildings, devouring almost anything in its path. Thousands of people died and hundreds of bodies have never been recovered.

The heart-breaking images of families desperately searching for loved ones amid the rubble of their homes sent shockwaves around the world.

Now, three months on, these images show the Japanese people remain undaunted by the havoc nature has wreaked on their homeland as step by step they rebuild their nation.



A Shinto shrine gate and surroundings in the town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture three days after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the same spot on June 3


But despite their progress, stark reminders of the work left to do means the resilience of this Asian country is still being tested.

Headway in the clean-up has been made in the town of Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture where the pleasure boat ''Hamayuri'', which was remarkably washed up on the rooftop of an inn, has been removed, along with a building shattered by the the wall of water.

Further down is an image of a Shinto shrine gate in the town three days after the March 11 disaster.

The same spot on June 3 which shows thousands of tonnes of rubbish, which had lay smouldering in an almost post-apolcalyptic landscape, has been cleared, roads re-laid and power lines restored.

Civilisation appears to have returned in Natori in Miyagi prefecture too. The first image shows a towering wall of ocean crashing through trees devastating homes and businesses lining the coast, tearing down power lines and drowning anything in its path.


A residential area being hit by the tsunami in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, top, and the same area, with only one house remaining on June 3, bottom


A parking lot of a shopping centre filled with houses and debris in Otsuchi town, Iwate prefecture two days after the earthquake hit and the same area picture on June 3


Astonishingly just one house survived the wave and a lone digger is pictured having cleared away the once thriving community reduced to rubble. Hundreds of cars parked in the foreground remain abandoned and appear to be the only reminder of the devastation.

Similarly, the striking image of a ship atop tonnes of rubble in the Kesennuma in Miyagi prefecture on March 20 was projected around the world and became a symbol of the disaster.

The photograph shows grey smoke filled skies above a path of destruction, but three months on, much of the debris has been cleared, power lines restored and hope is on the horizon.

A car park in a shopping centre, filled with houses and debris in Otsuchi town in Iwate prefecture is also back on its feet and signs of life are returning. Parking spaces are clearly visible where piles of wood, bricks, and vehicles lay strewn just a few weeks ago.


A view of earthquake and tsunami-hit Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture on March 15, top, and the same area pictured on June 3


The final image shows local people walking through debris on a street in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture to get water 48 hours after the disaster. The same image on June 3 shows the massive tank which lay in the road has gone and a damaged house on the left side of the street has been cleared and restored.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused the worst crisis in Japan since the Second World War and left almost 28,000 people dead or missing.

The clean-up bill is expected to top £184 billion and radiation fears from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant are still growing after four of the reactors were damaged leading to radiation leaks.

This week, an earless bunny was born near the reactor in north east Japan raising concerns the radiation could have long-term side effects.

Following the blast and initial leaks Japanese officials told people living near the plant to stay indoors and turn of air conditioning and also to not drink tap water.

High levels of radiation are known to cause cancer and other health problems but scientists are not yet clear if the defect in the rabbit is linked to the blast.


Local residents walking through debris on a street in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, to get water 48 hours after the disaster, top, and the same area on June 3 where a large tank and a damaged house on the left side of the street have been cleared away


Japan's economy slipped into recession following the devastation and new data shows it shrank 0.9 percent in the first quarter of this financial year but experts say a recovery later this year as industry kicks into action.

Industrial output rose one per cent in April from a record decline in March.

Manufacturers are making progress in restoring supply chains and ecnomists are predicting Gross Domestic Project to begin expanding again between July and September.



A view of earthquake and tsunami-hit Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture on March 20, left, and the same area after the building and debris was removed on June 3


Australian Red Cross - Japan Earthquake and Tsunami devastation


source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Romantic moment: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson share a kiss after a party to celebrate the premiere of Water For Elephants in New York last night


Reese Witherspoon might not have enjoyed getting close to Robert Pattinson, but his girlfriend Kristen Stewart apparently has no complaints.

The actress, 21, was spotted kissing her Twilight co-star, 24, in the back seat of a car as they left an after party following the New York premiere of his new movie, Water For Elephants, last night.

Stewart was carrying her high heels in her hands and looked giddy as she leaned in for the affectionate moment.


Home time: The pair shared a back-seat smooch as the called it a night


The brunette, who is always eager to keep her relationship out of the spotlight, had skipped the red carpet but turned out to support her boyfriend at the private bash.

Pattinson instead attended the screening with his co-star Reese Witherspoon, who had just days earlier described the pair's love scenes as 'unpleasant'.

'He had a very runny nose,' the 35-year-old told MTV, adding: 'It wasn’t appealing. It wasn’t pleasant.'


Happy couple: Despite having sore feet, Kristen couldn't wipe the smile off her face


Reese, who married talent agent Jim Toth last month, offered her co-star some advice for his future kissing scenes too.

'Bring a Sudafed,' she joked.

Pattinson has been dating Stewart since 2009 and the pair have recently been filming The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, both parts 1 and 2, which is expected to finish later this month.

The upcoming installments will see their characters Bella Swan and Edward Cullen get married and have a child.


Awkward: Robert walked the red carpet with his co-star Reese Witherspoon, who had earlier described love scenes with the actor as 'unpleasant'


Meanwhile, Reese has been hot on the promotional trail for the movie, which is released on April 22.

Today, she sported three different outfits as she did a tour of talk shows in New York.

She wore a clingy blue dress, long black coat and cream coloured heels for an appearance in Good Morning America, before changing into a coral mini dress and black tights for The View.

Lastly, she went for a more summery look in a floral pink and white number for a radio appearance.


All change: Reese changed outfits three times for her talk show appearances in New York earlier today


Water for Elephants Premiere - Robert Pattinson








source: dailymail

By DAVID JONES

Devastation: This picture of Akane Ito sitting crying in the ruins of the devastated city of Natori became one of the most iconic images from the Japanese tsunami


Among all the haunting photographs taken in the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami, one image became iconic - capturing the incredible scale of destruction and the resulting human misery in one unforgettable frame.

Published prominently in the Daily Mail and countless more newspapers around the world, it showed a young Japanese woman hunched in despair beside a ripped-up road, her tiny figure dwarfed by vast mounds of debris.

Rather strangely, she had removed her red rubber boots and placed them neatly beside her, but the fact that she sat barefooted amid the wreckage somehow made the picture more poignant.


Reunion: Against all the odds, Akane found two of her 13 dogs, labrador Mei and poodle Momo after the disaster


The photographer who took the picture never spoke to the woman, nor even asked her name. So who was this tormented woman, with her fashionable clothes and hairstyle, and what was the story behind her anguish?

The image was so powerful that I determined to discover the answer while in Japan reporting on the earthquake and tsunami for this paper. But with tens of thousands living in homeless people’s shelters along the country’s north-east coastline, tracking her down seemed an impossible task.

However, when I had all but given up and was back in Britain, I finally found her.


Temporary home: The hostess is now housed in a shelter where there is a special section for homeless people with pets


I had pinned the picture to a town-hall door in Natori in northern Japan, alongside dozens of other appeals to the missing - and by sheer chance she had seen it and responded to my request to get in touch.

Her name is Akane Ito, she is a 28-year-old nightclub hostess, and her story is by turns tragic and uplifting – a testimony to the extraordinary spirit with which the Japanese are facing up to their trials.

Until the tsunami struck, Akane lived with her construction-worker boyfriend and his mother, in a two-storey wooden house in Yuriage, a fishing port nearly 200 miles north of Tokyo which was populated by some 7,000 people.


Hope: Akane has not given up looking for her 11 other dogs

Akane has no children, but kept no fewer than 13 dogs - including six chihuahuas - which she loved dearly and regarded as her family.

‘On March 11, I was upstairs watching TV with my dogs, when suddenly I felt this mighty earthquake,’ she recalls. ‘There seemed to be no major damage, but we were just left without water, electricity and gas.

‘It meant that we had no radio or TV, so we hadn’t a clue that a huge tsunami was about to come racing in. We weren’t worried at all because a few years ago, when we had another big quake, the tidal wave was only about 10cm high.

‘The day after the tsunami, I tried to go back for them, but the town was still flooded and I couldn’t get through. I had no idea it had been completely destroyed until two days afterwards, when my boyfriend was able to drive us there.

‘When that photograph was taken, it was about 11am on March 13. I was sitting in front of what had been the entrance to my house, in total shock at the realisation that we had lost everything and our beloved dogs were gone.

The first dog to be found alive was May, a six-year-old female Labrador. Bedraggled and forlorn, she was spotted by a family as they wandered through the ruins of Youriage, a mile from Akane’s home, in search of missing relatives.


source: dailymail

Back where she belongs: The plucky dog was finally reunited with her owner, who alerted police after spotting her on TV


The lucky dog rescued from a roof drifting off Japanese coast for three weeks after the tsunami has finally been reunited with her owner.

Members of the Japan Coast Guard spotted the stricken pet - who had drifted nearly 2km offshore - during an aerial search of the area.

The two-year-old dog, called Ban, had an emotional reunion with her female owner after the woman spotted her on television.

Ban had survived for three weeks after the tsunami when coastguards spotted her while searching at sea for human survivors.

She was found drifting some 1.8km (1.1 miles) off Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, one of the Japanese areas hit worst by the disaster.

Local television showed showed pictures of the dog scampering around the roof of the house before it disappeared inside through a hole in the roof.


The emotional reunion came after the dog survived for three weeks on its own out at sea


It is thought the roof had become detached and washed out to sea by receding waters from the tsunami, which struck northeast Japan on March 11.

Her owner recognised the dog on TV and alerted authorities, who reunited woman and pet yesterday.

The pair were reunited at an animal care centre where the dog was being looked after.
The dog's owner, a woman who did not wish to be named, said: 'We'll never let go of her.


Against all odds: The dog appears to have survived by clinging to a house that had been swept away by the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11


'I saw the rescue on the news, and knew it was her. I knew her right away, from her face.'

Toshiro Suzuki, head of the animal shelter, said: 'I'm happy for the reunion, after they were separated by the disaster.'


Japan 'tsunami dog' Ban reunited with owner after surviving at sea



source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Leading edge: As alarm sirens blare over the city, the initial surge spills over barriers around Kesennuma Bay and begins running through the streets


As news emerged today of yet another earthquake striking Japan, terrifying new footage from the original March 11 earthquake and tsunami shows the brutal and deadly power of the water that has claimed thousands of lives.

Filmed from the top of a building in Kesennuma, around 300 miles north-east of Tokyo, the footage shows the surge of water cascading over coastline barriers around Kesennuma Bay as a tsunami alarm sounds.

It quickly turns into a furious torrent of water, sweeping everything away - including cars, ships and buildings - as it forces itself inland.


Gone in seconds: Within a minute the carpark in the previous shot has been completely erased by the fast-flowing water - giving residents no time to react


Panning right: The amateur cameraman points his handheld camera to capture water pouring through the streets beyond - destroying everything in its path


The sheer power of the water has to be seen to be believed. More unnerving is the sound of the tsunami crushing and grinding everything in its path.

The 5min 45sec clip begins as the leading edge of the tsunami has already struck, with cars being pushed over the bay's surge barriers and being swept into a nearby car park.

The amateur cameraman pans the handheld camera to the left to capture the fast-flowing water as it rushes into the bay. A siren begins and a recorded voice in Japanese gives tsunami advice to Kesennuma residents.


Disaster zone: The tsunami's devastation is now complete - what was once a thriving city no longer exists


Soon the wall of water is moving with incredible speed and rising fast - the barrier that had once looked like a mini waterfall is now now merely a ripple as the tide flows over it.

A storage building with a green roof in the middle distance of the shot begins to disintegrate under the immense force.

The camera pans to the right and focusses on another part of the city. Water can be seen flooding surrounding streets and buildings in the distance are being washed away as smoke rises from the ravaged city.


An injured man, using two sticks to support himself, walks underneath a ferry that came to rest on the roof of a two-storey building in Otsuchi, in the north-east of the country


Reiko Kikuta, right, and her husband Takeshi Kikuta watch as workers attempt to attach ropes to their submerged home to try to pull it ashore with construction equipment on Oshima Island in north-eastern Japan


Daunting task: Police officers in protective suits search among the wreckage left by the natural disaster for missing people in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture





source: dailymail