Late Thursday night, a very strong magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit just offshore of Japan’s very vulnerable, northeast coast. As the quake shook the region, immediate evacuation orders were put in place. The earthquake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (9:15 a.m. ET) and was located approximately 44 miles (70 kilometers) offshore, with a depth of about 33 miles.
As a precautionary measure to this seismic activity, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) released tsunami advisories for a number of coastal regions. Tsunami heights could reach almost 10 feet (3 meters) in certain regions, the agency cautions. This is the case in areas like Iwate, Aomori and rural Hokkaido, in the north.
USGS Reports recently suggested Kuji port in Iwate recorded a tsunami of 2.3 feet (0.7 meters). At the same time, Aomori and Hokkaido experienced a tsunami of up to 16 inches (40 cm) in height. The JMA warned that tsunami heights may rise during the next few hours, leading local authorities to issue precautionary warnings.
The Japanese central government is directly coordinating with local and prefecture governments to determine damage done and deploy emergency response plans. Takaichi called for making human life the first priority amid this disaster of a crisis.
“We are acting as one under the principle of putting human life first,” – Sanae Takaichi
Early reports from Aomori Prefecture reported injuries and fires in the affected areas. Severe power outages were reported in both Aomori and Iwate, leaving tens of thousands of residents in the dark. All high-speed train services between Fukushima and Aomori are now halted. Many stretches of the expressway remain closed, risk of collapse prompting shudders from survivors.
The federal government is currently inspecting nuclear facilities across the country. This doesn’t even include the immediate effects on civilian infrastructure.
“We have received reports that other nuclear facilities are currently being checked,” – Minoru Kihara
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) later confirmed the earthquake’s magnitude and gave further information about its epicenter.
