“It felt like the end of the world.” On the 15th anniversary of the catastrophe, Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare chronicles the near total meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. #FukushimaHBO premieres March 10 on HBO Max. | HBO

On March 11, 2011, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Japan, unleashing a tsunami of unimaginable force. As a colossal wall of water, reaching heights of over 130 feet, surged toward the coast, the Japanese Coast Guard vessel Mizuho found itself directly in its path. The crew, demonstrating remarkable composure, did not flee. Instead, they steered their ship directly into the oncoming wave—the standard, yet terrifying, maneuver to survive. The ship's camer