Hazards case studies (Tohoku, Japan)

Question 1

what was the magnitude

Answer 1

9.0

Question 2

When?

Answer 2

friday march 11th 2011 at around 2:45pm local time

Question 3

Where

Answer 3

250 miles off the north east coast of japan 20 miles deep

Question 4

Tectonic plates?

Answer 4

Eurasian plate which is continental is subducted by the Pacific plate an oceanic plate forming subduction zone to east of japan
Destructive plate boundary the friction caused an earthquake

Question 5

Why was the tsunami formed

Answer 5

Due to the earthquake being in the pacific ocean and it being relatively shallow

Question 6

What were the primary effects

Answer 6

-16,000 deaths
- 26,000 injured
- 130,000 people displaced
- 3000 people missing
- 333,000 buildings , 2000 roads, 56 bridges all damaged or destroyed
- 300 hospitals damaged and 11 destroyed
- 4.4 million households with no power
- no transport
- tsunami flooded 500 square km

Question 7

What were the secondary effects

Answer 7

• Liquefaction caused 1000 buildings to be damaged
• 500,000 people left homeless 150,000 in shelters
• 1 million homes with no running water and 6 million with no electricity
• food, water, petrol, medication shortages
• 200 aftershocks

Question 8

Human / economic impact

Answer 8

• most expensive natural disaster in history and with a cost of $235 billion
• 40m high waves destroyed coastal towns
• radiation emission due to destruction of power stations
• rural areas isolated for long periods of time due to infulstruture being destroyed

Question 9

What were the immediate responses

Answer 9

• 20km exclusion zone set up
• evacuation
• rescue workers and 100,000 members of the japan self defence force were dispatched
• international help from US, New Zealand, Australia, China, India and South Korea
• temporary schools homes and hospitals set up while infrastructure was rebuilt

Question 10

what were the long term responses

Answer 10

• new warning systems to alert people of hazards
• A month after the hazard japan set up an organisation to help with aid where approximately 900,000 people contributed and $190 Billion dollars was spent to rebuild japan over the next 10 years
• ## Government decided on building coastal defence like sea walls and breakwaters

Question 11

why do people live in high risk areas in japan?

Answer 11

• They have lived there all their life and have friends and family and an attachment to the area
• rich fishing waters and fertile soil to create a successful living
• ## good services (schools and hospitals)