Official death toll approaching 9,000. Current projections are 18,000 total dead.

Gasoline is still scarce, which is hampering the delivery of supplies into the affected areas.

My friend is still mulling her return to Tokyo. There is still so much confusion about the current status of the nuclear situation. The attitude seems to be "no news is good news" so maybe the less they say about the reactors, the better people will feel.

Chances are good that there will be more major aftershocks to come. I just hope that one big enough to tip Fukushima Daiichi back into instability does not come before they can bring things fully under control.