MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

Key details:

• Water dropped by helicopters seems to blow away in wind
• At least 19 workers hurt, 20 exposed to radiation
• Four of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant’s six reactors have faced serious crises
• U.S. says Americans should consider leaving Japan
• Aid workers, victims, regional officials appeal for help
• More than 5,300 officially listed as dead, but toll expected to top 10,000

Japan tried high-pressure water cannons, fire trucks and even helicopters that dropped batches of seawater in increasingly frantic attempts Thursday to cool an overheated nuclear complex as U.S. officials warned the situation was deteriorating.

Two Japanese military CH-47 Chinook helicopters began dumping seawater on the complex’s damaged Unit 3 at 9:48 a.m. (8:48 p.m. EDT), defense ministry spokeswoman Kazumi Toyama said. The choppers dumped at least four loads on the reactor in just the first 10 minutes, though television footage showed much of it appearing to disperse in the wind.  Read more.