5 year anniversary of Japanese quake, tsunami

Crescent City, Cali. — It’s been 5 years since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, killing more than 15,000 people. The resulting tsunami battered the Japanese coast, before making it’s way here where dozens of boats were sunk and destroyed, and at least one person was swept away by the current.

47 boats were damaged, and 11 others sunk, when the Japanese tsunami crashed into Crescent City’s harbor on March 11, 2011.

“It’s not the same, it’s gonna take many years for it to come back,” a witness told NBC5 News.

Despite a quick evacuation, one person was killed. 25-year-old Dustin Weber was swept away from the mouth of the Klamath River, his body was found April 2, 2011.

In Japan a moment of silence was observed at 2:46 pm, the moment the 9.0 quake hit, and tourists offered prayers at a makeshift altar in the local disaster prevention center where 43 workers died.

Today, much of the tsunami-devastated coastline remains empty and many residents have moved farther inland where the government is building low-cost housing for those who lost their homes.

The damage in Crescent City was estimated at 20-million dollars. It took 3 years for the new harbor to be completed.