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Dramatic consequences of the most severe earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s history

15.03.2011

On 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, decimating villages, agricultural land and infrastructure. Measuring 8.9 (later referred as 9.0) on the Richter scale, the earthquake was the most severe in the history of Japan. BBC reports over 2400 people killed and more than 3000 people as missing. The daunting tsunami - 10 meter high, according to the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) - struck the north eastern Japanese coastline in the wake of the earthquake, sweeping homes and vehicles inland. Catastrophe modeling firm EQECAT estimates that losses from the quake, tsunami and fires will total at least $100 billion, including $20 billion in damage to residences and $40 billion in damage to infrastructure such as roads, rail and port facilities. The earthquake/tsunami has also provoked explosions at the Fukushima nuclear facility leading to dangerous radiation levels.