Natural Disasters   
Fukushima Earthquake and Tsunami

Fukushima Earthquake and Tsunami


New York Times

Japan reeled from a rapidly unfolding disaster of epic scale on Sunday, pummeled by the death toll, destruction and homelessness caused by the earthquake and tsunami and new hazards from damaged nuclear reactors that were leaking radiation. The prime minister called it Japan’s worst crisis since World War II.

Japan’s $5 trillion economy, the third largest in the world, was threatened with severe disruptions and partial paralysis as many industries shut down and the armed forces and volunteers mobilized for the far more urgent effort of finding survivors, evacuating residents near the stricken power plants and caring for the victims of the 8.9 magnitude quake that struck on Friday.

The disaster has left more than 10,000 people dead, many thousands homeless and millions without water, power, heat or transportation. April 7, 2011.

The 9.1 magnitude earthquake was the most powerful ever recorded in Japan. The tsunami swept the Japanese mainland and killed over ten thousand people.

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