Yesterday
(11 March 2016) afternoon at 14:46, the Tōhoku
Megathrust Earthquake occurred. The epicenter was just 10 kilometers East of Oshika
Peninsula. This is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded to have hit Japan
and the 4th most
powerful earthquake in the world (since modern record-keeping began in 1900).
The
earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that reached heights of 40,5m and
travelled as far inland as 10km. The earthquake moved the main island of Japan,
Honshu, 2,4m East and shifted the Earth on its axis by between 10cm and 25cm.
Sound waves created were detected by low orbiting satellites.
The
Japanese National Police Agency report confirmed 15 894 deaths, 6 152 injured
and 2 562 missing people. They also reported 228 863 misplaced people living in
temporary housing due to permanent relocation. 127 290 buildings totally
collapsed, 272 288 buildings ‘half’ collapsed and 747 989 buildings were
partially damaged. The earthquake damaged roads and railways, caused fires and
even the collapse of a dam. 4.4 million Japanese households were left without
electricity and a further 1.5 million without water.
The Tōhoku
Earthquake also caused nuclear accidents - most notably the level 7 meltdowns
that occurred at 3 reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. Hundreds of
thousands of residents had to be evacuated. Electrical generators were taken
down and there were explosions in at least 3 of the reactors.
The
World Bank estimated the economic cost at US$235 billion making the Tōhoku
Earthquake and the disasters that followed as a result of it, the most costly
natural disaster in world history.
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| A map of the Japanese Islands showing the various damage caused by the Tōhoku earthquake. |
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