-
The tsunami
On March 11, 2011, the magnitude-9.0 Tohoku Earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear disaster struck northern Japan, killing over 16,000 people and leaving an estimated 3,000 missing. More than 5,400 people were injured and over 34,000 evacuated. The Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami damaged or destroyed more than 900,000 buildings. It was the strongest known earthquake to ever hit Japan, creating tsunami waves that reached an astonishing height of 133ft and traveled as far as 6 miles inland. T -
tsunami of march 12 for Japan
Overnight, a 6.2 magnitude aftershock hits the Nagano and Niigata prefecture (USGS).
- At 5:00am, a nuclear emergency is declared at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Officials report the earthquake and tsunami have cut off the plant's electrical power, and that backup generators have been disabled by the tsunami.
- Another aftershock hits the west coast of Honshu - 6.3 magnitude. (5:56am)
- The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency announces that radiation near the plant's main
