Tsunami in Japan 2011: Waves Stirred Up by Earthquake Cause Wide
Destruction Learn about the science behind tsunamis and
earthquakes by Beth Rowen and Catherine McNiff Tsunami in Japan
Japan was hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011,
that triggered a deadly 23-foot tsunami in the country's north.
The giant waves deluged cities and rural areas alike, sweeping
away cars, homes, buildings, a train, and boats, leaving a path
of death and devastation in its wake. Video footage showed cars
racing away from surging waves. The earthquake—the largest in
Japan's history—struck about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo. The
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for Russia,
Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New
Guinea, Australia, and the west coasts the U.S., Mexico, Central
America, and South America. According to the official toll, the
disasters left 15,839 dead, 5,950 injured, and 3,642 missing.
Earthquake Causes Nuclear Disaster What's more, cooling systems
in one of the reactors