TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Emperor Akihito made an unprecedented televised address to his disaster-stricken nation on Wednesday, expressing deep worry about the crisis at damaged nuclear reactors and urging people to lend each other a helping hand in difficult times.

Looking somber and stoic, the 77-year-old Akihito said the problems at Japan’s nuclear-power reactors, where authorities are battling to prevent a catastrophe, were unpredictable after an earthquake he described as “unprecedented in scale.”

This illustrates the seriousness of the situation. This morning the Japanese were planning a helicopter drop of water and other materials to slow the fires at the reactors. After a single helicopter flew over the site, the mission was aborted. It is safe to assume that radiation levels were too high for a safe mission.

We are reaching the point where they may have to ask helicopter and ground crews to enter the area in spite of the high radiation levels. They are running out of options very quickly. I believe they will have to evacuate in the next day or so. I also predict volunteers will remain in spite of the almost certain personal cost. They are short of every kind of effective response to the crisis but they are not short of courage.

James Pilant