Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Second Anniversary of the 3.11 Japan Earthquake

Yesterday, Mar 11, Japan marked the second anniversary of the 9.03-magnitude earthquake that hit east Japan off the Pacific coast of Tohoku.

Relatives of the victims offer flowers during a national memorial service in Tokyo. Junji Kurokawa, AP - USA Today

According to Wikipedia, the earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres (133 ft) in Miyako in Tōhoku's Iwate Prefecture, and which, in the Sendai area, travelled up to 10 km (6 mi) inland. The earthquake moved Honshu (the main island of Japan) 2.4 m (8 ft) east and shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between 10 cm (4 in) and 25 cm (10 in).

On 12 September 2012, a Japanese National Police Agency report confirmed 15,881 deaths, 6,142 injured, and 2,668 people missing across twenty prefectures, as well as 129,225 buildings totally collapsed, with a further 254,204 buildings 'half collapsed', and another 691,766 buildings partially damaged.

Below are a few more photos from USA Today..

People pray for victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami on March 11 in Arahama district in Sendai, Japan. Japanese are marking the second anniversary of the disaster that claimed 19,000 lives and triggered a nuclear accident. Toru Yamanaka, AFP/Getty Images

A man attends a memorial ceremony in front of a destroyed government office in Ootsuti, Iwate Prefecture. Ken Ishii, Getty Images

Vehicles destroyed by the 2011 tsunami sit in a field of reeds in Namie. Yoshikazu Tsuno, AFP/Getty Images

People gather around a disaster-control center destroyed by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami as they observe a moment of silence March 11 in Minamisanriku. Shizuo Kambayashi, AP

Buddhist monks march on the seawall as they mark the anniversary in Miyako, Iwate prefecture. AP

People offer prayers in front of a memorial dedicated to tsunami victims on a beach in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. AP

A woman lights candles during a service for the victims at a park in Tokyo. Itsuo Inouye, AP


Baseball players from the Netherlands, top, and Cuba offer a silent prayer for victims during a ceremony at the World Baseball Classic tournament at the Tokyo Dome. KJazuhiro Nogi, AFP/Getty Images

A tsunami thunders ashore on March 11, 2011, top, in Natori, Miyagi prefecture. Destroyed homes and debris have been removed, as shown on March 6, as repair operations continue along the coastal area. Kyodo News Service via AP

A ship rests on a wharf on April 10, 2011, left, after it was washed ashore during a tsunami at the port in Kamaishi, Iwate prefecture. The ship has been removed and repairs to the damaged port continue.

A street in Miyako, Iwate prefecture, left, is clogged with destroyed cars, buildings and debris after an earthquake and tsunami on March 12, 2011. The same road has been cleared of damaged buildings and is open to vehicles on March 1, 2013. Kyodo News Service via AP


Related article:
- Remembering Japan - One Year Later


1 comment:

  1. That was a day I'll never forget. I can't begin to imagine the memories of Miyagi residents.

    Thanks for remembering us, HappySurfer!

    ReplyDelete