Tsunami Warning in Japan After 7.7 earthquake

In April, a strong and powerful 7.7 earthquake struck northern Japan. The city sent out a warning for an increased risk of continued earthquakes and tsunamis. The warning was recently lifted, on Monday, April 27th. People are relieved and happy that the worry is over, and they don’t need to panic. “As of 5 PM today, the period during which the government issued a special warning… has ended,” said Kota Iwamura, the Cabinet Office official in charge of disaster prevention. Although people must still stay vigilant after a big earthquake like this one, he added, “This does not mean the possibility of a major quake has disappeared.”he said in a CNBC interview. A 6.2 earthquake struck Hokkaido’s southern region early on Monday. Tsunami warnings have not been sent out after this quake, and damage to homes, structures and life was minimal. 

The archipelago, which houses around 125 million people, usually experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes. This means that Japan, and this area, is highly prone to earthquakes and experiences them often. The earthquake that happened last week seriously injured two people, and 10 sustained minor injuries from it. In 2011, Japan had to endure a shocking 9.0 earthquake that still plagues the area and the people. This earthquake triggered a tsunami, which killed or left around 18,500 people. This was a shock and left devastation in the city of Japan.

This earthquake was so strong that it made it very difficult for people to walk and move around, and even caused concrete walls to break down and fall. A  meteorological agency in japan said that the tremor had an epicenter that was in the Pacific Ocean, and it was 20km deep. According to JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) , a 3 meter tsunami can cause damage to low areas, and flooding can occur, causing a lot of damage and even carrying people away in the flood. 

Because Japan is located in the ring of fire of volcanoes and oceanic trenches, it makes Japan one of the world’s most earthquake-prone places in the world, and tremors happen almost every five minutes. Fortunately, there are no nuclear power plants that are in operation currently, that are in the affected areas, and the ones surrounding reported that there have been no problems in their facilities. People in the area are worried and scared, following the 2011 quake. 

After the most recent one on Monday, the chance of an earthquake has gone from 0.1 to 1 percent, which is a much higher chance. Hopefully, worry from the citizens of Japan will cease, and no more earthquakes will occur in the near future. Until then, all people must stay vigilant and make sure to take the appropriate precautions when going out and making plans. Everyone in the affected areas, stay safe. 

Sources: CNBC, The Sun, NBC