The town lost its local train station, major city office buildings and business district to a tidal wave over 42 feet high.

Report from the field: OBI teams share their firsthand, eye-witness accounts of the relief efforts in Japan

ONAGAWA, Japan – Operation Blessing delivered another 3,300 pounds of rice to tsunami survivors on the Miyagi Coast.

After taking delivery of the home-grown Miyagi rice from a local farmer that is supplying Operation Blessing, we set out for the town of Onagawa, a fishing community just 35 miles up the coast from Shiogama City.

We had heard from the pastor who is quartering our team on his church/Bible school property in Ohira Village (just north of Sendai) that this town had suffered major damage from the tsunami. He said they were in need of more rice to feed the thousands of survivors living in shelters that had been set up in public school buildings around the area.

The town had lost its local train station, major city office buildings and business district to a tidal wave over 42 feet high. This also is the site of a nuclear power plant that automatically shut down after the March 11 quake, but was spared the crisis being faced further south in Fukushima.

When Operation Blessing arrived at the town’s disaster relief headquarters, which was set up in a school gymnasium, the officials gladly received the load of rice and arranged for Japanese military personnel to help unload the truck.

Our trip also involved passing through the coastal city of Ishinomaki, another decimated port city where we had made a rice delivery several weeks ago and had delivered supplies to the local Red Cross Hospital.

Destruction was everywhere as we made our way to Onagawa. Parts of the waterfront area were still inundated with seawater. Japanese military were still clearing debris and huge car carriers were transporting wrecked vehicles out of the town. Even one month after the tsunami, there were cars on top of buildings, trucks turned on their sides and train cars strewn about.

When we arrived at the town’s disaster relief headquarters, which was set up in a school gymnasium, the officials gladly received our load of rice and arranged for Japanese military personnel to help us unload the truck. Operation Blessing had done it again—bringing relief to those who need it most.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

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