Japan Disaster and Nuclear Fear

I'm almost 68 years old. I've tried to look back over the years to remember a time when there have been as many natural disasters of such magnitude as in the last few years. I can't.

I am grieving beyond grief for the Japanese people. It was clear that they were very prepared to handle earthquakes even of a 9 magnitude, as evidenced by the fact that buildings did not fall in Tokyo just 200 miles away from the epicenter. There are even some buildings, like the hospital in Northern Japan, still standing, even though the full height of the tsunami all but went over it. And that building was very near the epicenter.

With their history with the A bombs, I'm sure they have been meticulous in their fail safe measures for their Nuclear power plants. Man cannot stop all natural disasters. Period.

Does that mean the world should stop building nuclear power plants, or shut down the ones already in operation - the way Germany did? Personally, I don't think so, and we have family members who live fairly close to one. I've seen the evacuation direction signs on their highways.