But, in many areas, the Tohoku tsunami overflowed and even destroyed these protective structures – including the seawall at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northern Honshu. As a result, the plant’s three active reactors suffered near-meltdowns, leading to a buildup of hydrogen gas, a series of explosions and fires, and leakage of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
相反，日本的本州岛东岸几乎完全依靠增加海塘和离岸防波堤。但是，在许多地区，东北大海啸漫过甚至摧毁了这些保护设施——包括本州岛北部福岛第一核电站的海塘。结果，核电站的三个活跃反应堆几乎被毁，导致氢气积聚，引发一连串爆炸和火灾，放射性物质因此泄露到大气中。