Street Stories - A Ringside Seat To Over 4 Decades Of Taking Jesus To The Streets Of The World

Chapter 19 Sendai, Japan - Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Tohoku region of Japan’s Honshu Island on March 11, 2011. This was the strongest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history. The Great East Japan Earthquake – the name given to the event by the Japanese government – triggered a massive tsunami that flooded more than 200 square miles of coastal land. Waves were estimated to be as high as 40 meters (132 feet), the height of a 12-story building. An estimated 20,000 people were dead or missing and close to 500,000 people were forced to evacuate. In addition, a nuclear power plant meltdown triggered a nuclear emergency. The tsunami caused the meltdown of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The nuclear disaster released toxic, radioactive materials into the environment and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and businesses. Though Japan is a world leader in disaster preparedness, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, also referred to as “3.11” and lasting approximately 6 minutes, caused overwhelming damage and humanitarian needs that required an international response.

The earthquake’s epicenter was located some 80

miles east of the city of Sendai.

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