This is interesting ...

http://www.suntimes.com/4258154-417/5-nuclear-reactors-under-state-of-emergency.html

As a result of the 8.9 earthquake, the Japanese have now got problems at 5 operating nuclear reactors (located at 2 different power plants). The problem may stem from the fact that the reactors lost BOTH their coolant flow and equipment power supplies at the same time - due to the combined quake and the tsunami. That's a worst-case series of events.

It is TOO EARLY to speculate that this leads to a critical emergency. It probably depends on how much extra safety was put into the engineering containment design for the reactors. Probably a lot - but you don't know how much damage was done by the earthquake.

They have evacuated the people living near the power plants. Radiation levels are climbing outside the power plants.

other Pete