The earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan on Friday took thousands of lives, at a minimum, and caused untold billions in damage and property loss. The effects of this catastrophe will be felt for generations and, for all intents and purposes, Japan will never be the same. Everything changed in an instant when a subduction plate shift off the coast of northeastern Japan created an earthquake that is now being estimated at 9.0 on the Richter scale. That's a massive earthquake by any measure, but the tsunami that it created actually caused most of the death and damage.
A wall of water estimated to be 30 feet high destroyed everything in its path and the people in Japan had only a few minutes of warning, if any at all. Entire towns have been wiped away and it is still far too early to know just how many people perished as a result. Published reports are putting the minimum death toll at 10,000, but that is based largely on the estimate of an officer in a single Japanese prefecture. It's likely that 10,000 is going to be a very low number once everyone is accounted for.
Authorities are struggling to reach stranded citizens, who are currently without food, water or power. Because of the problems of several nuclear power facilities around Japan, power is already limited to the areas that largely survived the disaster. Japanese military and rescue operations are being pulled in many directions, trying to help the desperate survivors while also trying to recover the thousands of dead bodies.
At present, the primary focus is on the nuclear power plants, at least one of which has already suffered two large explosions. Officials are reassuring citizens that there is little danger of a Chernobyl-style meltdown and that radiation levels are still within legal limits. The logistical hurdles being faced by the Japanese people at this time are truly difficult to comprehend. The road to recovery will be long and difficult and, as stated earlier, Japan will never be the same.
BBC News - Japan earthquake
Small trucks drive down a road with the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the background Insider's view. 'I was at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant when the quake ...
A wall of water estimated to be 30 feet high destroyed everything in its path and the people in Japan had only a few minutes of warning, if any at all. Entire towns have been wiped away and it is still far too early to know just how many people perished as a result. Published reports are putting the minimum death toll at 10,000, but that is based largely on the estimate of an officer in a single Japanese prefecture. It's likely that 10,000 is going to be a very low number once everyone is accounted for.
Authorities are struggling to reach stranded citizens, who are currently without food, water or power. Because of the problems of several nuclear power facilities around Japan, power is already limited to the areas that largely survived the disaster. Japanese military and rescue operations are being pulled in many directions, trying to help the desperate survivors while also trying to recover the thousands of dead bodies.
At present, the primary focus is on the nuclear power plants, at least one of which has already suffered two large explosions. Officials are reassuring citizens that there is little danger of a Chernobyl-style meltdown and that radiation levels are still within legal limits. The logistical hurdles being faced by the Japanese people at this time are truly difficult to comprehend. The road to recovery will be long and difficult and, as stated earlier, Japan will never be the same.
BBC News - Japan earthquake
Small trucks drive down a road with the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the background Insider's view. 'I was at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant when the quake ...
