Japan in Crisis: Earthquake, Tsunami, and a Nuclear Explosion

By: S.S.

Have you ever experienced an earthquake? What about a tsunami or a nuclear explosion?

Well, Japan has experience all three and the earthquake was one of the largest in the last century. But let me tell you more about it.

On March 11, 2011 at 2:46pm in Japan a 9.1 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of the country. This earthquake set off alerts as far as the west coast of the United States and South America. According to the New York Times, the death toll has gone up to 12,000 people across Japan since the earthquake hit in March.

Following the earthquake in Japan there was a terrifying tsunami. The tsunami was like mouthwash after you use toothpaste because right after the earthquake hit everything that survived was washed out by the tsunami.

Six hundred years ago Japanese ancestors engraved stones warnings the people of Japan that they should not live below a certain point because they might be at risk of being hit by a tsunami. The stones were used as a marking point because past tsunamis had always stopped 300 feet below these stones.

Even though the citizens of Japan were aware that a tsunami was coming, they still didn’t have enough time to evacuate, and even if Japan had evacuated some people still wouldn’t have survived the 33 foot tsunami going over the barrier that was implanted in the ocean. The barrier helped a little bit, but it really gave the people a ‘’false sense of security” that ultimately failed them.  

What do you get when you combine something man made and something made from nature?

Destruction...well sometimes. The tsunami caused a nuclear reactor called the Fukushima Daiichi to have a meltdown. The force of the water lowered the reactor’s cooling supply which kept the reactor from over-heating and the result was a chemical leak.

Because of the leak, Tokyo’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that he was going to end the construction of the replacement nuclear reactor. Builders and citizens protested, but the decision was made and the construction is being planned despite efforts to shut it down. The prime minister claims he’s doing it for a good reason, and that is to prevent future incidents like this one.

With an earthquake, a tsunami, and lastly, a nuclear explosion, it looks like Japan has a lot to worry about, but hopefully they’ll get through it soon, especially with the help of the rest of the world.

There are many ways you can help Japan recover, so please try to do anything you can to help the country during this devastating time, like providing food or giving donations by visiting the American Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.org/.