Saturday, March 12, 2011

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Updated: March 20 - Some Good News... 

On March 10, 2:46 PM (Local Time), Japan was struck by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake - the largest quake in Japan's history and fifth most powerful to hit the world. The epicenter of the quake was offshore - 125 kilometers (80 miles) off Japan's east coast and was 10 kilometers (six mikes) deep. But within minutes, the quake unleashed a seven meter (23 feet high) tsunami  along the northeastern coast of Japan. The tsunami traveled six miles inland walloping everything on its path including cars, trucks, buildings, infrastructures as well as large fishing boats and other vessels. It also toppled electric poles, smaller buildings and set up fire all over the affected areas. Videos of the tsunami was aired all over the world and you can just see the destructive power of the tsunami - Video, Video, Video, Video, Video, Video, Video. And its aftermath - Video1, Video2, Video3, Video4, and Video5.

The quake was followed by aftershocks after aftershocks with largest detected was a 7.0 magnitude. The lastest aftershock was a 6.4 magnitude that hit the east coast of Honshu at 10:15PM local time (March 12, 8:15AM EST). The most effected was the coastal city of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture (Video1, Video2 and Video3).

Photos of the destruction: Globe and Mail, BuzzFeed, National Geographic

  • a Massive whirlpool was recorded after the quake off the coast of the town Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture on March 11. Video
  • Japanese public broadcaster NHK has reported more than 900 people killed and 700 missing as of Saturday, March 12, 4:17 PM local time. March 13 - more than 1,800 people have been confirmed dead including 200 bodies found Sunday along the coast. The death toll has reached 4,313 as of Thursday, 1:09AM Tokyo time, according to the National Police Agency Emergency Disaster Headquarters. The Agency also reported that 8,606 people are missing and 2,282 were injured. The death toll as reach 6,911 as of March 18, 8:44pm Tokyo with at least 10,316 people still missing. Japan's National Police has increase the death toll to 7,197 people as of 10:30AM Saturday, March 19 Tokyo Time. As of Sunday, March 20, the death toll has risen to more than 8,600 people with still 12,800 still unaccounted for. 
  • March 13 - Authorities estimate that more than 10,000 people died during the quake. The surge was due to the reports that more than 10,000 people were killed in Miyagi prefecture. 
    • March 13, 10:38 PM EST - Kyodo News Agency reports that approximately 2,000 bodies have been found in Miyagi Prefecture. 
  • The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings and alerts for 50 countries.
  • CNN reports that Japanese authorities have declared nuclear emergency in five of its nuclear power plant when the cooling systems were damaged due to the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. Prime Minister Kan has ordered the evacuation around the area of the nuclear power plants. The most damaged was the Fukushimi Daiichi plant with an explosion reported to be its pumping system failing in the plant's Unit 1. They plan to flood the reactor containment structure with sea water to bring the temperature down to safe levels. Video, Video, 
    • Iodine tablets are being distributed to the surrounding areas as a precaution after an explosion in Fukushimi Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
    • March 13 - more than 180,000 people have been evacuated and up to 160 people may have been exposed as Japan officials raced to staved off multiple reactor meltdowns. 
    • March 13, 11:20PM EST - Hydrogen explosion occurred at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Unit 3 on Monday, March 14, 11:59AM Tokyo Time. People withing the 20 kilometer (12 mile) radius were ordered evacuated. Link 
    • March 14 - An "explosive impact" occurred Tuesday morning at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Unit 3.
    • March 14, 10:38PM EST - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has said that the fourth reactor at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant was on fire and that more radiation was released.
      • March 15, 5:00AM Tokyo - Tokyo Electric and Power reported a new fire was discovered in the northeastern corner of Reactor 4
    • March 17 Tokyo Time  - Japanese military helicopters begun dropping seawater onto nuclear reactor trying to avoid a full meltdowns while plant operators have indicated that they are close to finishing a new power line that could restore cooling systems.
    • March 18 - Kyodo News reports that Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency has raised the severity level of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant from 4 to 5 on an international scale of 7, the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. 
    • March 20 - Reactors 5 and 6 were brought under control cooling temperatures to acceptable levels. There is also progress in reconnecting the units to the electrical grid. Once the emergency is resolved, the government plans to scrapped the entire Fukushima Daiichi power plant. 
    • More than 215,000 people are living in 1,350 temporary shelters. Since the quake, more than 1 million households have no water and 5.1 million homes were without power. As of March 18, about 380,000 evacuees were staying at 2,200 facilities according to Kyodo News.
    • March 13 - Prime Minister Naoto Kan said electricity would be rationed while rolling blackouts to several cities. 
    • A oil refinery in Ichihara, Japan caught fire. Video - March 13: Oil refinery is still on fire 
    • Kenneth Hudnut, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake move Japan's coast by 8 feet and shifted the Earth on its axis (Link).
    • March 13 - a 60 year old man swept 10 miles offshore was rescued by a military vessel.
    • March 13 - "This is Japan's most severe crisis since the war ended 65 years ago" - Prime Minister Naota Kan. Video
    • March 13 - Japanese officials raised their estimate of the magnitude of the quake to 9.0. 
      • March 14 - U.S. Geological Survey has upgraded the deadly quake from magnitude 8.9 to 9.0 confirming what the estimation of Japanese officials.
    • March 13 - A volcano in Kyushu spewed ash and rock on Sunday. 
    • March 13 - Some 10,000 people in the town of Minamisanrikucho have not been accounted for - one of the hardest town hit by the tsunami. Video, Video, 
    • March 13 - AIR Worldwide, a risk modeling company, estimates that the earthquake will result to insured losses of nearly $35 billion, making it one of the most expensive catastrophes in history. Link
    • March 13 - Video showing minutes before tsunami swept through the town of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture which holds the Guinness World Record as the town with the deepest breakwater at 207 feet deep and stretches 6,430 feet. (LA Times)
    • March 13 - Another raw footage, this time in Kesennuma city, Miyagi Prefecture 
    • March 13 - Videos of devastation in Sendai - Video, Video, Video
      • New video of tsunami turning Sendai Airport into an island
    • March 13 - Before and After images of Japan - Link
    • March 13 - Reuters reports that Japanese firms have halted production due to the quake. Reuters
    • March 14 - New Videos of destruction brought by the Tsunami - Video
    • March 15 - a 6.1 magnitude aftershock was reported at Honshu, Japan at 11:06 PM Tokyo time (10:05AM EST).
      • March 16 - ten aftershocks were recorded Wednesday, Tokyo Time, with magnitude being 5.0 and higher.
      • March 18  - Japan had 262 aftershocks of magnitude 5 and higher, a record number in Japan's history according to Japan's Meteorological Agency. Link
    • March 16 - Emperor Akihito address the nation on Wednesday marking it the first time in its history that an emperor addressed the nation in crisis on television. Link
    • March 16 - Tsuna Kimura, a quake survivor, escape the raging tsunami by bike. Video
    • March 16, 6:15PM Tokyo - Kyodo News report that 80,000 Japan Self-Defense force and police personnel have been mobilized for the relief efforts.
    • March 18 - Kyodo News reports that Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners donated 100 Million Yen to the Japanese Red Cross. As of Friday, 123 countries and 33 international organizations have offered assistance. 
    • March 18 - This is truly sad, 30 school children, between the age of 8 and 12 years old,  at Kama Elementary School are still waiting for their parents to pick them up. MailOnline News Report
    • March 19, 10:30 AM Tokyo Time - NHK reported that a young man was pulled out of a wreckage alive in Kesennuma without any serious injuries. Something to keep hopes up to find more survivors. News has been retracted, the man has actually been in the evacuation center and just happen to go back home and slept in the wreckage.
    • March 20 - Grandmother and grandson were rescued after 9 days under a collapsed wooden home. Link  

    Ways to Help



    Google has launched the Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake to help connect people

    I will continue to update this blogpost as this tragedy continues...
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