CT families waiting to hear from loved ones in Japan

New London, Conn (WTNH) - Hisae Kobayashi was born and grew up in Tokyo. She now teaches Japanese at Connecticut College. She says her aunt was walking on the street when the 8.9 quake hit.

"When she felt it, she sat on the road, because she couldn't stand. Apparently my brother, he got right off the station, but all the public transportation had stopped, so he had to go back home on foot," Kobayashi said.

Kobayashi says a former student, now teaching English in northern Japan, not far from where the tsunami sent a wall of water across the northeast coast, is also okay, but one Connecticut College student has yet to hear from his relatives in that region.

There's also concern about fire, so gas and electricity have been shut off in many places, and Kobayashi says evacuations have begun around a nuclear power plant.

"I heard pressure is very high right now, and right now I think someone has decided to release some pressure," Kobayashi said.

Now, half a world away, she is still trying to wrap her head around all that has happened.

"Right now still under shock," said Kobayashi.

Right now there are two Connecticut College students studying abroad in southern Japan. News 8 was told they're both okay. We're also told two other students are headed to go to Japan later this semester, and as far as they know, that program is still a go.