for the past 2 missions, we’ve been searching for the most secluded and most devastated areas. some places were getting lots of help, and some places were being neglected. along the Oshika Peninsula, there are about 10 or more fishing villages along the coast that ALL have been wiped out. driving along that beautiful coast is heartbreaking. that point A is a place called Kobuchihama. we were the first volunteers to arrive there dropping off supplies. 5 weeks later!!! 400 people live there and were cut off from supplies for 2 weeks because of the roads. no electricity, no water, no phone service. i’ll be up there next tuesday and i’m hoping that things will be better since the last time we were there.
this is where KITV hooked up with us and shot the video. see the bunch of houses in the middle? it’s on the hill so luckily got spared from the tsunami. the rest of the town got totally wiped out. we asked the people living there “why do you stay here and not go into an evacuation center?” their reply “we’re waiting for our missing loved ones to either be found, or to come home. and if they come home, we have to be here.” no water, no electricity. sad.
this place is called Kugunarihama. we passed by and seen a few fishermen sitting up the hill so decided to stop by. 5 weeks later, we ask “why does everything look the same?” they reply, “we can’t start cleaning up because the military still has to come and look for the dead bodies.” 5 weeks later? sad.
this town is called Ayukawahama. half gone, half there. on some streets, one side is totally devastated, and the other side is untouched. the power of the tsunami is unbelievable. i’ll never forget this town because we camped here on mission 2 on the coldest nights ever. it was freezing below 0 degrees and somebody forgot to roll up the window in the van i was sleeping in. i was freezing cold all night long. hopefully next time will be much warmer.
