on the broadcast tonight, the disaster in japan. people are being ordered to seal themselves in their homes after a radiation leak. and new problems at more reactors. tonight the americans who are buying medicine based on fear. and the continuing suffering on day five since the disaster. our coverage begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and a special good evening to our viewers in the west tonight. tonight japan is dealing with a full scale tragedy, while also trying to contain a full scale nuclear emergency.

the release of radiation has prompted a major evacuation. and the people of japan, across a wide area, are now being told to seal themselves in their homes. tonight we have the latest on the disaster in japan. the number confirmed dead just over 3,500. and the missing now standing at close to 7,000. both expected to go much higher. half a million people have been evacuated. almost that number are in shelters. there are still huge shortages of food, fuel, water and shelter. about that radiation leak and the effort to avert an all out meltdown. 70,000 people have been evacuated. 140,000 have been told again to stay in their homes. tonight a handful of very brave nuclear workers are trying to prevent a further disaster, doing so knowing they may pay with their lives. it's where we begin tonight with our chief science correspondent robert bazell in tokyo.

bob, good evening. >> reporter: brian, the nuclear danger here remains ominous. already this is the worst reactor accident since chernobyl in 1986. >> reporter: a frightening scene just outside the evacuation zone. workers decontaminating residents with a new sense of urgency after conditions deteriorated rapidly. satellite photos of the crippled reactor show much of the damage. explosions at numbers one and three destroyed outside buildings. there's no obvious damage to number two, the reactor with the most severe problem a crack in the containment dome that's allowing radiation to leak out. and while the fire is out at unit number four, it's still releasing radiation, probably from the spent fuel rods like these stored in huge water tanks. >> just the spent fuel accident would be worthy of worldwide concern. and we have that on top of three

reactors that are having core damage going on. it's a very, very bad situation. >> reporter: japan's prime minister urged calm and said there was no evidence the amount of radiation released so far threatened anyone outside the evacuation zone. the one bit of encouraging news from the government, the radiation levels have been dropping in recent hours. ground level winds had been blowing to the east out to sea. but in the past few hours, they shifted south in the direction of tokyo, where officials say radiation levels have been elevated but not dangerous. the company that runs the reactors ordered all but the most essential personnel to leave the site and offered public apologies. >> translator: this is a very poor scenario, very bad scenario. >> reporter: one big challenge, experts say, because there are only 70 or so workers at the site, reactor problems occur one after the other. those workers who volunteered to stay are facing radiation danger

now. many could have gotten very high levels. >> they are already being exposed to levels of radiation that are life threatening and will in some cases be fatal. >> reporter: many see those workers as great heroes. some lost their homes and families in the earthquake and tsunami, yet they continue at great risk to themselves, to try to prevent another catastrophe in this country. brian? >> bob bazell starting us off in tokyo tonight. thanks. this nuclear crisis just one prong of what japan is dealing with. this is just day five since the 9.0 earthquake, the fifth largest in recorded history. and the tsunami that followed. some facts that bear repeating, japan is about 10% smaller than california. this graphic shows the area of the country affected by moderate to severe shaking in the quake. here's the surface area we believe that was covered by water in the tsunami. the recovery hasn't even started in some places, where it's just

rubble. the suffering goes on daily, and then the earth shook again violently today. nbc's lester holt today is in yamagata. lester, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. we've chosen to give a wider berth of the exclusion zone around the plant, which is why we are now in the mountains west of sendai. with each bit of troubling news from the nuclear plant, the anxiety and fear ratchets up across this region. a lot of people fear they are not getting the straight truth about the danger they face. in a region still reeling from the horror people can see. it's the one they can't see, radiation that now has some foreigners racing to leave japan. >> the tsunami, if you are in the middle of japan, or tokyo, it's not a problem. but with radiation, it's like, you cannot escape, you cannot see. >> reporter: in the streets of tokyo, where face masks are warn to prevent the spread of germs.

official pronouncements on a much more lethal danger are wearing thin. >> nobody knows the truth of what's happening and what's the effect. >> reporter: tens of thousands have been evacuated from the exclusion zone around the nuclear plant, which now includes a no-fly zone for commercial flights. close to the quake epicenter in sendai, i met japanese families too afraid of after shocks to return to their homes and at times too afraid to stand outside. why are you going to your car right now? >> translator: because i heard that the rain is radioactive, and if it touches your skin, i will get some kind of skin disease. >> reporter: all of this compounding the terror of quake and tsunami survivors already pushed to the brink. at a shelter, people work the phones still trying to connect with loved ones feared lost. there were more bodies pulled from the debris along the coast today. families still crying out,

desperately searching for missing loved ones. >> hello. >> reporter: it's not just the survivors who are overwhelmed by what has happened here. >> you wonder how the local people live here are to recover from it. >> reporter: there are still occasional voices from the rubble. people don't die easily this rescuer says, that's why we are still here. for all they have lost, the people of japan have not lost hope. we can tell you that china has become the first country to organize mass evacuations of their citizens from northeast japan. in the meantime, the u.s. and many other countries continue to advise their citizens against nonessential travel to this country, brian? now more on the fears of the radiation leaking out of that damaged nuclear plant. a big part of the story, and the fear is the weather specifically, where and how the winds are blowing. the concerns are two-fold.

surface winds, which could be very bad news locally in japan. and upper level winds, as they do every day, coming across the pacific toward the u.s. west coast. meteorologist bryan norcross at the weather channel standing by with all of it. bryan, good evening. >> good evening, brian. yes, the winds switched around to the north today, in the direction of tokyo. but they were light. that happened today, the good news is, the next couple days, winds are going to come in from the northwest. and anything that gets released from those plants is going to be blown offshore. late in the week, into the weekend the weather pattern changes and the winds become very light. it looks like at that time, anything that is released will stay in the general vicinity of sendai and the power plant there. now, as far as the upper level winds go. it would take any kind of nuclear material to be injected way high in the atmosphere, and that has not happened yet. and unless something goes very, very wrong, we do not expect that to happen. as of right now, we don't expect

any kind of problems or anything being transported on across the pacific or affecting any part of the united states. brian? >> bryan norcross in atlanta, thanks. professor frank von hippel's assessment of what's happened in japan is already way past three mile island already. he got a lot of attention today, has a quote in "the new york times." he's been kind enough to join us tonight. thank you very much for being here. i hesitate to this, but i have to. how much worse could this get at this one facility in japan. >> it could potentially approach a chernobyl type situation. i think the releases from the reactors probably won't approach that scale. chernobyl was all basically blown out in the atmosphere. here it's 99% of it is perhaps been absorbed in the water, in

the basements of these reactors. the big new concern is the fire in unit number four. this is a unit that was not operating. the concern is not with the reactor, but with the spent fuel pool on its roof. it probably has a couple reactor cores worth of fuel in it, and unless that fuel is covered, it too will on a slower time scale heat up and could in fact catch on fire and generate hydrogen. that may be what we're seeing. although, when you -- i did some calculations, i didn't expect this to happen so soon. but it is essential that that spent fuel be covered with water, and they haven't been paying attention. >> is this a localized regionalized problem, god forbid for the people of japan. do you regard this or as a larger global environmental problem? >> it's a regional problem. there will be smaller -- if

there were a chernobyl type release, there will be small doses out to hundreds of miles and some statistically, there might be some increase in cancers, but not visible -- i mean, statistically, not visible. >> all right. that's exactly, professor, what we're going to cover in this next segment, which is why we thank you for your counsel to us all day long here. and joining us here tonight. throughout the day we've been hearing people on the american west coast have been buying up iodine tablets, designed to prevent cancer upon exposure to radiation. and today despite warnings from doctors that people shouldn't just be taking these tablets, the u.s. surgeon general got into this. and said, it's a good idea to be prepared and to potentially save lives. those comments were amended but we'll begin our reporting on this aspect of the story with nbc's kristen welker in southern california.

>> reporter: an empty shelf is all that's left after potassium iodide pills sell out at this southern california health food store. >> this is not a normal thing, really. we can probably sell, i would say, maybe one, two, maybe four a day. but getting people asking for cases is unbelievable. >> reporter: the pills used to protect the thyroid from the effects of radiation are in high demand. >> i'm concerned if my health is in jeopardy. >> reporter: in san francisco today, even the u.s. surgeon general weighed in. >> it's definitely appropriate, we have to be prepared. >> reporter: however, she wouldn't recommend that anyone go out and purchase potassium iodide for themselves at this time. one online drugstore supplier claims he sold 250,000 pills over the weekend, half of them to households on the west coast. there's also a run on geiger counters, which for most people are useless. >> the average consumer really would not be able to interpret what the geiger counter readings

meant. >> reporter: with the west coast more than 5,000 miles from japan, nuclear experts say it is extremely unlikely we would suffer any radioactive effects here. still, technicians in southern california, test the air for radiation twice a week. >> it's just a geiger counter. >> reporter: federal agencies are monitoring the situation closely. >> just keeping a close eye on it, because that's what we do. again, we still don't see any reason to be concerned in california at this point. >> reporter: despite efforts to reassure americans, the barrage of terrifying images coming out of japan continues to fuel fears on america's shores. kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. and now a reality check from our own chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. nancy, i have these pills here. i just read the label, it says use as directed in the event of a nuclear radiation emergency. despite the advice from good doctors like yourself, people

shouldn't just take these. it looks like we have a run on them anyway? >> we have a run on them. this is a case where people would be better off taking that money and donating it to the japanese who need it. because that money is not money well spent. these pills are for those who may go into harm's way and be exposed to radiation. it blocks the ingredient that could cause thyroid cancer. the real kirj concern is for people who right now think this wave is going to come to california. you've heard the experts say no. taking this could put you in harm's way, that is, if you are allergic to shell fish, you are a pregnant woman or have problems with iodide. this may not be safe at all. i think the bigger concern is for those people who are at the heart of this problem in japan, the idea of being exposed to high levels of radiation sickness, where people might see nausea, vomiting, severe exhaustion, hair might fall out, even skin changes.

these are classic cases, classic signs within the first 48 hours of people who have been exposed. >> from what the professor says is a localized issue. >> put that back in your cabinet. >> all right, will do. we're back in a moment with more on this disaster in japan. in just a moment, the big role the u.s. military is helping to play to help japan recover from this crisis. and later, the resiliency we've seen on display there. ann curry reports on people who have lost just about everything in the world, but are thinking of others first. sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey, i've got just the wholegrain fiber to keep her full so she can stay focused. um, you rock. she'll be ready to rock. [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with 100% whole grain fiber, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most.

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now american forces are gathering forces to help the country cope with this disaster. our report from nbc's ian williams. >> reporter: u.s. plans for a massive relief operation have also been overshadowed by japan's escalating nuclear crisis. >> i know they're looking at several different options. something a little bit closer but not too close to, obviously, what's going on with the reactor plants. >> reporter: marines are looking to set up a forward base at yamagata. that needs japan's agreement. today they were still negotiating over the size and scope of the operation. >> if our number's called, we're ready to assist in any way possible. >> what kind of stuff could you bring in? >> a variety of stuff, all the way from search and rescue to food and supplies. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes along japan's devastated northeast coast. japanese officials have told us they face a critical shortage of

water, blankets and medicine. the u.s. has already conducted helicopter missions along the battered coastline, finding isolated communities of survivors. >> we found essentially hundreds of people. they'd say 100 at this place, 200 at this place, 300 at this place. it's just a matter of getting them out. >> reporter: the message from the u.s. side is that they are ready to go, to bring in a massive amount of assistance, just as soon as they get the green light from japan. a key role will be played by the aircraft carrier uss ronald reagan. she was forced to reposition this week because of the threats of airborne radiation. the u.s. military has had a huge presence in japan since the end of the war, but never with a mission quite like this. ian williams, nbc news, yamagata. we're back in a moment with some of the other day's news. inside the 2011 dodge journey

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in the meantime, our onan tree ya mitchell traveling with secretary of state hillary clinton reports that the secretary quietly met with a high-ranking opposition leader in paris last night, talking about whether the u.s. can offer any support in the battle with gadhafi at this late date. clinton also called the saudis to express deep concern about their sending troops into bahrain to crush the rebellion there. and news intersected with wall street today. it was a scary morning with the dow tumbling more than 300 points at the open. but then a rebound. in the end the blue chips finished down just 137 points. japan's nikkei index which had a terrible tuesday, those nuclear fears spreading to the trading floor. it closed down 10% in the end. it's down 16% now, in just two open trading days. when we come back here tonight, we'll hear from ann curry about the lessons in resilience she has witnessed.

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comes from nbc's ann curry. >> reporter: home from the evacuation center for the first time today. tatso asau 79, and his wife sumae 73, were shocked so much was ruined, first by the earthquake. and then by five feet of water. but they didn't wait for outside help. she says everyone is the same. he adds, i want to get this work over so i can help others. five days into this disaster, a spirit of self-reliance is everywhere. helping augment the short water supply, neighbors boil snow they trucked down from nearby mountains. they make chop sticks by hand using bamboo they gather themselves, making even cups and bowls. for people who have lost

everything. at this evacuation center -- what do you not have enough of here to take care of these people? local officials said people need food, heat and doctors. so balls of rice are brought in by local women. and the elderly who run out of medicines are closely watched over and kept warm. rarely has a nation so powerful been this vulnerable. [ sobbing ] >> reporter: having lost so much, japan appears as broken as its landscape. but it is not. this couple says we are old, but we expect the next generation will build us back even better. ann curry, nbc news in minamisanriku, japan. >> and one more reminder for those americans who wish to help, we've put a number of charities on our website tonight at nightly.msnbc.com.

that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams, and we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com maybe. depending radiation detection. the bay area science designed to keep your family safe. and the advice of the surgeon general warning us to be prepared. nbc bay area continues coverage of disaster in japan. and good evening, everyone. >> right now, all eyes are on the nuclear power plant where crews working to contain the radiation were