Case Study: Tohoku Earthquake, 11th March 2011, Japan
Background Information and Causes:
Situated in the Ring of Fire. Pacific Plate subducted under the North American Plate. The
east coast of Honshu Magnitude 9.0 earthquake resulting in a tsunami (peak height of 4
900 aftershocks were reported with Tokyo (hundreds of miles away) even felt tremors
Short term impacts: Long term impacts:
• Many ships in harbours wer
• 15,856 people died with 6,000 injured and • 1 nuclear power station rep
3000 still missing • Economic loss due to radiati
• 6 million houses were left without power • The currency (yen) fell sharp
• 62 landslides were reported • 230,000 people who lost the
• Ruptured gas pipes led to fires still living in temporary hous
• 4 nuclear power stations had to close • Foreign trade suffered as th
• An airport was flooded shortage
• Crops and farmland was destroyed • Damage to ports massively
• 1 million had no running water fishing industry which dama
• 500km² coastal plains hit
• 582 roads cut off
• 32 bridges destroyed
• Wave travelled 10km inland
• The tsunami obliterated the defences
• 1300 Nissan cars going to the USA were
damaged
• 10% of the fishing ports were damaged.
Short term responses Long term responses:
• 347km of Tohoku expressway was repaired in • Cost $309 billion to rebuild
13 days • A disaster prevention plan w
• The Prime Minister of Japan created an on findings from the earthq
emergency response headquarters with him • Port facilities were rebuilt
as head • Tsunami defence systems w
• Tsunami warnings were sent out quickly • Jackie Chan donated $3 mill
• Rescue teams from 45 different countries • Japan unveiled a newly-insta
were on standby tsunami warning system
• 100,000 Japanese soldiers sent out to search • Earthquake engineers looke
and rescue construct buildings that are
• Specialist search and rescue teams flown in quakes and tsunamis
from overseas • Psychological help was prov
Background Information and Causes:
Situated in the Ring of Fire. Pacific Plate subducted under the North American Plate. The
east coast of Honshu Magnitude 9.0 earthquake resulting in a tsunami (peak height of 4
900 aftershocks were reported with Tokyo (hundreds of miles away) even felt tremors
Short term impacts: Long term impacts:
• Many ships in harbours wer
• 15,856 people died with 6,000 injured and • 1 nuclear power station rep
3000 still missing • Economic loss due to radiati
• 6 million houses were left without power • The currency (yen) fell sharp
• 62 landslides were reported • 230,000 people who lost the
• Ruptured gas pipes led to fires still living in temporary hous
• 4 nuclear power stations had to close • Foreign trade suffered as th
• An airport was flooded shortage
• Crops and farmland was destroyed • Damage to ports massively
• 1 million had no running water fishing industry which dama
• 500km² coastal plains hit
• 582 roads cut off
• 32 bridges destroyed
• Wave travelled 10km inland
• The tsunami obliterated the defences
• 1300 Nissan cars going to the USA were
damaged
• 10% of the fishing ports were damaged.
Short term responses Long term responses:
• 347km of Tohoku expressway was repaired in • Cost $309 billion to rebuild
13 days • A disaster prevention plan w
• The Prime Minister of Japan created an on findings from the earthq
emergency response headquarters with him • Port facilities were rebuilt
as head • Tsunami defence systems w
• Tsunami warnings were sent out quickly • Jackie Chan donated $3 mill
• Rescue teams from 45 different countries • Japan unveiled a newly-insta
were on standby tsunami warning system
• 100,000 Japanese soldiers sent out to search • Earthquake engineers looke
and rescue construct buildings that are
• Specialist search and rescue teams flown in quakes and tsunamis
from overseas • Psychological help was prov
