-by Jurgita Balaisyte, Alfonso J. Pedraza Martinez, Orla Stapleton, Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 14 March 2011-
The earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, which took place in Japan on Friday 11th March was the world’s fifth largest earthquake since 1900 and was 700 times more powerful than the one that struck Haiti last year. However, despite the devastation playing out on our television screens, the damage and losses are relatively low when we consider the magnitude of the disaster. In Tokyo for example, the damage from the earthquake was very limited and the reaction of the people on the streets illustrated the level of preparedness of the country for this type of disaster.
However, the situation has become much more complex since the initial disaster. The earthquake unleashed a monstrous tsunami, up to 10 metres in some areas, that surged water in some areas 10 kilometres inland, causing extensive damage and resulting in numerous casualties. In addition, there is a high risk of meltdown in one of the countries nuclear power plants and an oil refinery has been set alight. What began as a sudden onset natural disaster has degenerated into a massive humanitarian crisis. Although initially foreign assistance was not deemed necessary, due to the complexity of situation, the Prime Minister of Japan has called for international assistance to deal with emergency response activities while continuing the massive search and rescue operation. Read the rest of this article...
Please share your opinion and comments regarding Japan's disaster preparedness and contingency plans, measures towards a nuclear treat, your experience in Japan or with other disasters.
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