Our overnight journey from Sendai to Niigata

Things were getting a bit scary in Sendei. The threat of a complete nuclear meltdown just 77 miles away had everyone on edge. People were evacuating the area, the government calling it an emergency, and fires raging at the reactor. So, CBS decided it was time for us to leave too.

Nine of us, including my fellow correspondent Bill Whitaker and producer Erin George piled into a van for a trip straight across the center of Japan. We wanted to get to Tokyo but the interstate passes right by the reactor that could meltdown. We didn't have enough gas to take the long route (there is little to no gasoline left in Northeastern Japan).

So, we headed towards Niigata and it became a six hour drive through the mountains in a blizzard. In some places the snow was piled eight feet high. This Minnesota boy felt right at home.

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We all talked about the disaster and how it just keeps getting worse. Some of us tried to sleep as we have been awake for more than 48 hours. We finally pulled into Niigata around 3 a.m. and there was one hotel room left so Bill, Erin and I set up shop and sent in our stories for Evening News.

We are now about to drive six more hours to Tokyo. I have to say it was hard to leave the quake zone and I feel guilty. The suffering there is beyond belief and the people need their stories told. So many of them would love to have a van carry them to safety. We are fortunate but we owe it to them to keep covering this disaster.