A tsunami warning, with waves of up to 3 meters forecast, was issued Monday evening for Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and Hokkaido in northern Japan after a powerful quake struck off the coast of Iwate.
The 7.5 magnitude quake and potential for tsunami prompted anchors on multiple TV news programs to urge local residents to move to higher ground, away from rivers and coastlines, calling on people to “remember the 3/11 disaster.”
The alerts and warnings were a stark reminder of the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that struck the area, leaving nearly 20,000 people dead and forcing some 125,000 people to evacuate.
“Tsunami! Evacuate!” flashed on NHK in English for non-Japanese. “Don’t turn back.”
The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers, about 100 km off the coast of Iwate Prefecture at 4:53 p.m., according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
It registered a lower 5 of a Japanese seismic scale of 7 in some parts of Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. Tokyo and its vicinity — where buildings swayed for several minutes — registered a 3.
At Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, an 80-centimeter tsunami was observed, while Miyako Port, also in Iwate, saw a 40-cm tsunami, with more waves expected. Waves were also forecast to arrive at other locations across a wide swath of the prefecture’s coast.
Live video from a port in Kuji showed ships swaying from what appeared to be small, initial tsunami waves.
At Aomori’s Hachinohe Port, a 30-cm tsunami was observed, while the town of Erimo in Hokkaido saw 20-cm tsunami. Thousands of residents along the coastal areas were being ordered to evacuate.
The JMA held a news conference at 6 p.m. following the quake, warning residents that the region — which has experienced repeated earthquakes over short periods in the past — should be on alert for more strong quakes in the area over the next week, especially the next two to three days.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to evacuate to safer, higher ground.
“At this time, we are still confirming the material damage and impact on residents, but we will receive detailed reports shortly and proceed with disaster response efforts,” a visibly breathless Takaichi said.
A Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K helicopter was flying over the Sanriku coast of the Tohoku region to gather information and conduct a damage assessment, the MSDF said.
The Tohoku Shinkansen Line was suspended between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations. The Akita Shinkansen Line also suspended operations, according to the operator.
No abnormalities were reported at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture or the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said.
JMA also said it observed a level 3 of the so-called long-period ground motion — or seismic waves of different durations that last for a long time — in Akita Prefecture.
Level 3 is defined as a shake that makes it hard for people to remain standing, and one that makes rolling furniture move uncontrollably, while furniture that is unsecured may topple over.
Several local governments in Iwate, Aomori, Fukushima, Akita and Miyagi prefectures as well as Hokkaido issued evacuation orders to local residents who might be affected by the tsunami. (The Japan Times)
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