Tohoko Earthquake Case Study

Question 1

Location facts about the earthquake

Answer 1

• March 2011
• 9.0 on Richter Scale
• Created a tsunami

Question 2

Effects of the earthquake

Answer 2

• Largely unaffected by the earthquake

Question 3

Effects of the tsunami

Answer 3

• Immediate power outages in Tokyo, as well as 4 million homes
• Cell-phone networks jammed
• 2,000 dead
• 10,000 expected to be dead
• 2,000 injured
• 500,000+ displaced
• 24,000 isolated
• 1.2 million homes without power
• 1.4 million without water
• Almost 5,000 destroyed houses
• Fukushima nuclear powerplant explosion

Question 4

Mitigation and Preparation

Answer 4

• Specific requests for search and rescue
• Tsunami wall was only 6m high
• Pre-prepared tsunami evacuation areas
• Education on earthquake drills

Question 5

Response

Answer 5

• 3 minute warning before tsunami
• Military forces sent to help
• 91 countries offered aid
• Modern innovations (Twitter) brought updates on situation

Question 6

Recovery

Answer 6

• $300bn in damages (highest globally)
• Exclusion zones in effect 5 years after nuclear explosion
• Long term medical care for 200,000 children with pre-cancerous growths from nuclear explosion

Question 7

Ineffectiveness of management?

Answer 7

• No, tsunami wall was breached
• High economic cost
• Food products near explosion cannot be sold and 200,000 children with pre-cancerous growths

Question 8

Effectiveness of management?

Answer 8

• Japan is very technologically advanced in terms of earthquake management
• People prepared with training and warning systems
• Less deaths than Indian Ocean Tsunami