VALDEZ, Carlos Dominico B.

STEM11B6
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

MEGAQUAKE/
Hour that Shock Japan
Northeastern Japan was experienced with a powerful earthquake with magnitude-9.0
earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tōhoku Earthquake
on March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. local time. The event began with a strong earthquake off the
northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, which caused widespread damage on land and
initiated a series of large tsunami waves that devastated many coastal areas of the country. The
temblor violently shook northeast Honshu for six minutes, and collapsed its coastline by one meter.
The thrusting moved Honshu about 2.4 meters eastward, and the seismic waves on the Pacific
Ocean floor set off tsunami waves traveling at the speed of a jet plane (about 700 kilometers per
hour). Waves 3 to 38 meters tall pounded Honshu’s coastline, destroying towns and villages and
flooding areas up to 10 kilometers inland. Tsunami waves also swept across the Pacific, causing
damage or disruptions in Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Estimated
20,000 people were dead or missing and close to 500,000 people were forced to evacuate. In
addition, a nuclear power plant meltdown triggered a nuclear emergency. The direct economic loss
from the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster is estimated at $360 billion.

We all know that Japan is one of the most seismically active areas in the world due to the fact
that plates aren't constantly moving at a smooth rate. In this case, it is all about the things to know if
you’re in an earthquake in Japan to avoid mistakes if you were in the situation. A big part of what
makes Japan so safe is that people know how to react, and they have easy access to accurate
information about earthquakes affecting them. You need to stay connected during earthquake. A few
extra seconds of warning can give you all the time you need to make sure you’re prepared for an
earthquake. A great way to stay connected is to download an Earthquake Early Warning app. These
apps send you information about any earthquakes in your area. The main events are there
was magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast. Tsunami waves smashed the
coast, causing massive damage and flooding. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant cooling
system was damaged, raising fears of a meltdown. Aftershocks continued, many exceeding
magnitude-7.0.

I learned a lot like take a shelter under a sturdy piece of furniture or under a doorway. If there
is nowhere to hide, cover your head with something like a pillow. Don’t move until the earthquake
stops. Don’t go outside coz falling debris from rooftops after an earthquake is a common cause of
injury. If you’re out in the open, crouch down on the ground and cover your head to protect from
falling debris until it’s safe to move. Find an open space. The documentary is very important to all
human because the video make you realized that we should be prepared if natural disaster will
happen. Being prepared can reduce the fear, anxiety and losses that accompany disasters.
Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event of an earthquake and
where to seek shelter during a fire. They should be ready to evacuate their homes and take refuge in
public shelters and know how to care for their basic medical needs. You can reduce the impact of
disasters by flood proofing, securing items that might shake loose in an earthquake, and taking other
pre-emergency precautions.