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An Earthquake Precipitates Crisis
First: The westward-moving Pacific Plate, an oceanic tectonic plate, lurches downwards beneath the North American plate, causing an earthquake of 69 km. off the northeastern coast of Honshu. Second: The earthquake sets off a tsunami with 2 big waves and ruins the nuclear power plant area. Third: With flooding having destroyed too many systems in the nuclear power plant, Prime Minister Naoto Kan declares a nuclear emergency. Fourth: 1st evacuation announcement occur -
Evacuation Area Expands, the Roof Blows
First: Widen the evacuation zone to 10 km. Second: Has an announcement of unit 1 in an attempt to lower the temperature and pressure. The venting means that some radioactive material has been released into the air. Third: A hydrogen explosion blows the roof of Unit 1, collapsing concrete walls and leaving behind only the steel framework. Fourth: The evacuation area is expanded to 20 km. Fifth: TEPCO begins injecting seawater into Unit 1, as a substitute coolant. -
Cooling System Failed
First: NISA announces that the emergency cooling system in the Unit 3 reactor has failed. Second: TEPCO begins injecting seawater into Unit 3. Third: Announcement for the plan to inject into unit 2 as well. -
Explosions Continue
First: Hydrogen explosion at the Unit 3 reactor. Second: Eleven workers are injured. Third: Building's structure is severely damaged. -
Explosions Again
First: A hydrogen explosion occurs at the Unit 2 reactor. Second: Radiation levels are measured at 400 millisieverts per hour. Third: Average person is exposed to about 2.4 millisieverts of radiation per year. -
Dump Seawater
First: The military begins using helicopters to dump seawater on Unit 3. Second: Radiation levels are at 17 millisieverts per hour. Third: Radiation levels are 10.37 times stronger than they would be in an average environment. -
Replacement Diesel Generators
First: Units 5 and 6 successfully implemented replacement diesel generators. Second: Pumping water back into Unit 5 and 6 reactor cores. Third: The extent of the damage becomes clearer. -
Things Start to Stabilize
First: Temperatures at Units 5 and 6 stabilize. Second: Electrical power is restored to Units 1 and 2. Third: In the wastewater, radioactive iodine is measured at 126.7 times higher than the legal limit. -
More Evacuation
First: The temperature of the reactor in Unit 1 brought down to 204.5 degrees Celsius. Second: Government advises residents who live between 20 and 30 km away from the plant to evacuate the area. Third: Seawater tested near the plant has 1,250 times the legal limit of iodine 131. -
A New Earthquake
First: At magnitude 7.0 of Rock Eastern Japan, has a new earthquake. Second: Fukushima loses power preventing cooling water from reaching Units 1,2 and 3. Third: The International Atomic Energy Agency rates the Fukushima Crisis a disaster magnitude of 7, the highest on its scale -
Return for Important documents
Evacuees who have abandoned homes are given 2 hours to return for important documents or belongings that left behind -
The 1st Journalists Were Allowed to Visit Plant
First: They described a scene of devastation in which three of the reactor buildings were destroyed. Second: The grounds were covered with mangled trucks, crumpled water tanks, and other debris left by the tsunami. Third: Radiation levels were so high that visitors were only allowed to stay for a few hours. -
Radioactive Water Leaked
First: Radioactive water leaked from the storage units, minimally contaminating the soil and water nearby.
Second: The leak was controlled and stored in a contained area.
Third: The stored water continues to require maintenance, until its ultimate purification -
Radioactive Cesium Getting Higher
First: TEPCO officials reported that radioactive Cs was 90 times higher than it was 3 days. Second: Radioactive Cs may spread into the Pacific Ocean. Third: TEPCO reported that the Cs-134 levels in the well water were measured at 9 kilobecquerel per liter, 150 times the legal level, while Cs-137 was measured at 18 kilobecquerel per liter, 200 times the permitted level.