Riverside Offers Condolences To Sister City Of Sendai

RIVERSIDE (CBS) — Condolences from the city of Riverside were offered to the people of Japan, especially its Sister City, Sendai, which was hard hit by a magnitude-8.9 earthquake centered on the island nation's northeast coast.

"Riverside sends its prayers and thoughts to Japan and especially to ... Sendai," Mayor Ron Loveridge said. "This beautiful city and its people have been our partners for over 50 years. The city of Riverside stands ready to provide any assistance requested by the federal agencies coordinating the earthquake relief and support efforts."

A tsunami flooded Sendai – home to an estimated one million people – and the area remains submerged after the massive earthquake rocked the area.

The official death toll is in the hundreds, but thousands of people are missing.

Riverside established its sister-city connection with Sendai in 1957.

CBS's Greg Mills spoke with Riverside's International Relations Officer for his reaction to the quake. Says Mills, "He visited there teice and vividly recalled the airport which was overwhelmed by the tsunami." Mills also reported that the man was unable to reach his Sendai counterpart.

The mayor's office encouraged people with friends and family in the Japanese city to check the following website: safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php.

Donations for quake victims can be sent to riversidecounty.redcross.org, or by calling (800) 733-2767.

Information on emergency preparedness is available at www.readyriverside.com.

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