WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011

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COUNTRY IN RUINS
JAPAN FACES DESTRUCTION AND DESPAIR AFTER DISASTER

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FAMILIES: Millions of families

displaced after hurricane struck

BUSINESSES: Thousands of
Japanese businesses obliderated

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COSTS: Repair costs

projected in the billions

INSIDE
TOXIC RADIATION
Efforts to cool down Fukushimas No. 1 nuclear plants overheating reactors are continuing, as workers rush to prevent highly toxic radiation being released into the atmosphere.

Lowdown on nuclear crisis and potential scenarios

Alex Martin
Associated Press

The current situation?

There are six reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 plant. Reactors 1, 2 and 3 were in operation when the massive earthquake struck. The three reactors immediately shut down and control rods were inserted to neutralize them. Reactors 4, 5 and 6 were already shut down for maintenance at the time of the disaster.

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TOKYO
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Traces of radioactive iodine from the power plant are detected in Tokyo and elsewhere in the Kanto area

GDP DOWN
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The effects of last weeks earthquake and tsunami are likely to push down Japans gross domestic product by a net 0.2 percent or more in fiscal 2011

How are the reactors holding up?

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Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT

Homes burned and ships were piled in a mass of debris in Kesennuma, Miyagi Perfecture

SATEWIDE

Number of missing, dead skyrockets to 1,800 in quake aftermath

Barbara Demick
Associated Press

Reactors 1, 2 and 3 are presumed to have all been damaged to varying degrees as their water levels receded and temperatures spiked following the quake and tsunami. Seawater has been pumped into reactors 1, 2 and 3 to maintain sufficient water levels around the fuel assemblies and prevent the reactors from overheating. The fuel rods that generate energy in nuclear reactors are long rods in a zirconium alloy cladding. If the attempts to cool the reactors fail and the water that covers the fuel rods recedes, exposing the rods, the temperature begins to rise, as is the case with the Fukushima reactors. In the worst-case scenario, the radioactive fuel would burn through the reactors protective containment layers and release large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere.

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GM TRUCK CUTS
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GM forced to cut Louisiana truck output as quake causes parts shortage

MICHIGAN SUPPORTERS

Michigan residents crammed into a church in front of the United Nations on Friday to show their support for Japanese victims at a prayer service, which was followed by a candlelight vigil.

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TOKYO The number of missing and feared dead in Japans epic earthquake soared to more than 1,800 by early Sunday as a reeling nation struggled to contain an unprecedented nuclear crisis, pluck people in tsunami-inundated areas to safety, quell raging blazes and provide succor to hundreds of thousands of frightened people left homeless and dazed. As the second full post-quake day dawned Sunday, authorities said about 400,000 people had been forced to flee the quakes giant swath of destruction. more than a quarter of them refugees from the area surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant, which is located ap-

prizimately 150 miles north of the city of Tokyo. The crisis intensified as officials reported three of the Fukushima complexs six reactors were in trouble, and emergency measures were being taken to cool them. Dozens of people were believed to have been exposed to elevated levels of radiation, and officials sought to reassure a frightened public that the radiation leak was under control. Cesium and iodine, byproducts of nuclear fission, were detected around the plant in what could rank as the worst atomic incident in Japans roughly half-century of nuclear power generation. With punishing aftershocks continuing to jolt the quake zone. The

Worst case scenerio?

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Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/MCT

Families mourn the loss of loved ones after checking lists of deceist Japanese military was mobilizing 50,000 of its personnel, together with ships and planes, to aid in a rescue effort that has swiftly turned into a deadly race against time. In a country where every modern convenience has long extended into even remote areas, the basics of daily survival, food, water, power. Were unaccustomedly threatened. That did not include another 200 to 300 unidentified corpses, mostly tsunami victims, that had been transported to Sendai, the hardest-hit large city.
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QUAKE

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STAY CONNECTED

Improving jobs picture little relief for Michigans unemployed

Adam Clark
Staff Writer

LSJ .com

Photo galleries and video Latest news

Breaking news on your cell phone Follow us on Facebook Text LSJNEWS to 44636 (4INFO)

DETROIT Since losing his job doing technical work for a Detroitarea television station more than two years ago, Ronni Brewster has worked part-time as a lunch assistant at his daughters elementary school, completed a yearlong graphic design training program and searched exhaustively for work. He received word Wednesday that about five months remain before his unemployment assistance

I love the state. I never want to leave the state. Im going to make it work. Im just not sure how.
- RONNI BREWSTER Michigan resident runs out, and hes trying his best to remain optimistic as his job hunt continues. Despite the states lingering economic troubles, Michi-

gan is his home - and its where he wants to stay. Im one of those people who are totally pro-Michigan, said Brewster, 45 of Madison Heights. I love the state. I never want to leave the state. Im going to make it work. Im just not sure how. The employment picture has generally brightened in Michigan over the past year, with the January unemployment rate released this week declining to 10.7 percent - three full percentage points below its January 2010 level of 13.7 percent.

But with 508,000 people looking for jobs in Michigan, and half of them unemployed for six months or more, theres little relief for the long-term unemployed. Of the 13.9 million Americans unemployed in January, about 1.8 million had been without work for 99 weeks, or essentially two years, according to government data. That number of unemployed is nearly double from January 2010. Michigan tracks its long-term unemployed by a shorter 27-week period, and the state reports that the

percentage of those out of work for that time or longer has remained relatively stable over the past year. Thats obviously a real problem, said Jim Rhein, a labor market analyst with the states Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. Still, he added: Its a lot better that it was. ... Were headed in the right direction, but were nowhere near where we need to be.

INDEX

Main Lottery Nation & World Business Today Election Results Opinion

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Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland says Will Rhymes will be his opening day second baseman.

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Census: Lansing population falls 4 percent

Michigans population dropped by 54,000 people in the past decade. Ingham, Clinton County saw 16 percent growth - the largest increase of any Michigan county. Though the city of Lansing lost 4.2 STORY CONTINUEDPAGE 4A

Keepers meet baby pandas that are being loaned to Toledo Zoo STORY CONTINUEDPAGE 7B