Unit 5 - Disaster

 On March 11th, 2011 an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 shook parts approximately 231 miles away from Tokyo, Japan, causing a devastating tsunami to strike afterwards The tsunami waves reached heights of about 30ft and struck nearby nuclear reactors causing severe damage. The earthquake is the fourth largest earthquake that has been recorded since 1900. The death toll was estimated to be about 20,000 with hundreds more reported missing. Thousands of homes were destroyed along with roads and rail lines. Electrical power was knocked out in several towns and cities along with the disruption of sewage and water systems. Before the storm, many people received warning through their early warning system. This system stopped the movement of high speed trains and assembly lines in factories. Cell phone messages were also sent out to people living in larger cities.

 

 One of the most notable impacts caused by the Tsunami was the meltdown of the Fukushima power plant. The cause of the failure of the power plant was due to the damage done by the disaster. This added disaster measured a level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale measuring equal to the Chernobyl Meltdown. It was reported that about 300,000 residents evacuated the area. The total cost of the damage was estimated to equal $300 billion dollars. Japanese government reports claim that TEPCO, an electric company, took measures that were described to be "insufficient". The main claim made by the company for such little action was that they wanted to keep the public calm and keep them from protesting against nuclear power. Since Japan is a country that relies on nuclear power more nuclear reactor sites have been closed due to the stricter standards placed by the government.

 




The photo above shows the drastic remains of a city in Japan. The recovery of this storm is still going on today. According to the Japanese government, about two years after the disaster had hit, about 300,000 people who lost their home are still living in temporary housing. Japan's meteorological agency was also heavily criticized for issuing a storm warning that didn't provide the correct accuracy of the potential and existing damage that the storm will had. This disaster had negatively affected the lives of many, and shows how much damage natural storms can do to countries.

Resources:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/17/world/asia/japan-earthquake---tsunami-fast-facts/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/6-5-earthquake-hits-japan-tsunami-alert-issued-rescinded-article-1.121476
http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html
http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2099823,00.html