Japan - one in a lifetime disaster or the end of nuclear power stations?

The news have been talking about the recent disaster in Japan with no end in the last couple of weeks. But somehow the attention seems to shift away from the thousands of dead and homeless caused by the earthquake and the tsunami and concentrate on the potential danger of a nuclear power plant. Is this fear understandable and they right way of thinking, or do the media blow this out of proportion? Is it not more important to think of all the victims of the earthquake and the fact they are still suffering and do not have basic things like food and water? Even though the dangers and advantages of a nuclear power station are well-known, somehow lots of people seem to think of it more like some alien invention, that cannot be controlled and should be switched off as soon as possible. But can the huge amount which is produced this way really be replaced?