A Video Surfaced Of The 9.0 Earthquake And Tsunami That Hit Japan In 2011 And It’s Terrifying To Watch
Nobody is ever truly ready for the destructive force of a natural disaster. While people can be evacuated along with some of their belongings, not everything can be saved.
What makes it even worse is that while disasters like storms and hurricanes can be predicted and prepared for, earthquakes, on the other hand, are impossible to predict.
However, that doesn’t stop people from trying their best to prepare for the unknown. And every bit helps.
A Japanese news network recently released harrowing footage of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
Image credits: ANNnewsCH
For the past several days, Japan has been experiencing light earthquakes, which range from 3.2 to 4.8 points on the Richter magnitude scale. This, in response, prompted news agencies around Japan to begin disaster prevention broadcasts just in case it gets worse.
One such television news broadcaster, the All-Nippon News Network, released harrowing footage of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at Sendai Airport, Japan as a part of their disaster prevention program. It was filmed and sent to the television station by viewers back in 2011.
The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, or the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku, as it’s officially called, was an undersea earthquake clocking in at 9.0–9.1 on the Richter scale.
Image credits: ANNnewsCH
The video was published as part of disaster prevention in response to the recent earthquakes in Japan
Image credits: ANNnewsCH
It was followed by massive tsunami waves, which were estimated to reach up to 40.5 meters in height, traveling at a speed of 700 kilometers per hour and reaching 10 kilometers inland. It was reported that the disaster led to over 15,000 fatalities with over 6,000 injured. People had no more than 10 minutes of warning before the fact to evacuate.
In context, it is considered the most powerful earthquake in the history of Japan, as well as the second most powerful and the sixth deadliest in the world in the last 20 years.
The footage provided in this article shows the massive earthquake hitting Sendai Airport. Although the structures are built to withstand the power of the disaster, all of the things inside could be seen violently shaking and falling to the ground. People were seen huddled up to whatever fixed objects they could find in their vicinity.
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Viewer-filmed footage exemplifies the horrific scope of the earthquake, followed by a powerful tsunami
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Once the violent earthquake subsided, airport staff began coming over to help travelers. Light fixtures continued to flail around as everyone was standing up. Everyone was soon evacuated outside, but only for a brief moment as it was reported that a massive tsunami was headed their way.
The video also includes footage of the tsunami coming in from west of Japan. The wave brought in a lot of debris, seemingly of houses and other structures that were swept away closer to the coast. The sheer force of the tide pushed away the airport’s heavy machinery like it was nothing.
According to the Disaster Preparedness Tokyo Guide, if a person is inside when a strong earthquake strikes, they should immediately seek cover so that they wouldn’t be injured by objects falling off shelves or furniture falling over. It is a must to find a place that would be strong enough to withstand the fall of a heavier piece of furniture, somewhere away from exterior walls and windows. If not possible, use sturdy objects to cover your head. Also, stability is key, so dropping to the floor or finding an object that is stable to hold on to is also a necessity.
Refer to the Disaster Preparedness Tokyo Guide mentioned above for other earthquake situations and guidelines.
Image credits: ANNnewsCH
The earthquake lasted for around 3 minutes, as seen on the video provided below
Image credits: ANNnewsCH
Japan is one of the focal points of powerful earthquakes. It is estimated that around 20 percent of all global earthquakes exceeding 6 points occur in Japan. This occurs because the island country is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire—a major area where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen. Approximately 1,500 earthquakes strike Japan annually, the majority of which are, fortunately, minor tremors.
Here is how people on the internet reacted to the natural disaster…
Horrifying. I have been in 3 major earthquakes, including the Nisqually Quake, which lasted something like 40 seconds. That seems like nothing, but after even 10 seconds of listening to the world fall down around you, each second becomes absolutely interminable. I can't imagine the terror of 3 minutes and THEN watching a tsunami roll in.
Add the Fukushima disaster to it. The fear was real.
This video is terrifying. We felt the Kaikoura earthquake which went on for about 1 minute. That felt like such a long time. It was the middle of the night. I leapt out of bed, got in the doorway. It didn't stop, so I went to my daughter's bedroom doorway. It still didn't stop. I got her out of bed to join me. Stood hugging her. It still didn't stop. Husband and dog finally appeared (husband doesn't usually even get out of bed for quakes, but had still been up). Even then we had a little huddle time (and time to think - is this it?) before it finally stopped. We spent the rest of the night in one bed (dog trying to hide underneath) and the dog has been terrified of earthquakes, thunder and even heavy rain every since. I can not imagine how terrifying a much longer and bigger shake would be.
If you want a deep perspective of natural disaster at an unbelievable scale, search youtube for Japan tsunami 2011 videos. Phone and camera videos were widely available and caught the disaster in horrifying detail for the hundreds of miles of involved coastline. The magnitude of destruction, the energy unleashed, and the helplessness is beyond comprehension. Here is one summary video: https://youtu.be/GgtFkaLeSnk
I watched that summary video. Thanks for sharing. For those who don't want to watch the whole thing, watch the clip starting at 7:37. I've watched some videos of this here and there, but I NEVER knew that a tsunami could have that much power. It's just shocking. (And the aftermath in Indonesia was almost worse than this original desctruction, with the wealthy stealing up the land before the fisherman, etc. could return, leaving them to go homeless and live desparate lives in cities.)
The story of the people on top of the office building is heartbreaking. You watch this incredible maelstrom of water and debris and you know it'll just squash you like a bug if you somehow get caught in it. Terrible.
I remember seeing videos at the time. Cars stopped on overpasses just being swept away. What an absolutely horrific way to go.
I remember watching part of the clip shortly after the earthquake and this is as horrifying to watch now as it was back then. I can't imagine what people went through at the time, and not to mention all the lives that'd been lost. Just heart wrenching
Horrifying. I have been in 3 major earthquakes, including the Nisqually Quake, which lasted something like 40 seconds. That seems like nothing, but after even 10 seconds of listening to the world fall down around you, each second becomes absolutely interminable. I can't imagine the terror of 3 minutes and THEN watching a tsunami roll in.
Add the Fukushima disaster to it. The fear was real.
This video is terrifying. We felt the Kaikoura earthquake which went on for about 1 minute. That felt like such a long time. It was the middle of the night. I leapt out of bed, got in the doorway. It didn't stop, so I went to my daughter's bedroom doorway. It still didn't stop. I got her out of bed to join me. Stood hugging her. It still didn't stop. Husband and dog finally appeared (husband doesn't usually even get out of bed for quakes, but had still been up). Even then we had a little huddle time (and time to think - is this it?) before it finally stopped. We spent the rest of the night in one bed (dog trying to hide underneath) and the dog has been terrified of earthquakes, thunder and even heavy rain every since. I can not imagine how terrifying a much longer and bigger shake would be.
If you want a deep perspective of natural disaster at an unbelievable scale, search youtube for Japan tsunami 2011 videos. Phone and camera videos were widely available and caught the disaster in horrifying detail for the hundreds of miles of involved coastline. The magnitude of destruction, the energy unleashed, and the helplessness is beyond comprehension. Here is one summary video: https://youtu.be/GgtFkaLeSnk
I watched that summary video. Thanks for sharing. For those who don't want to watch the whole thing, watch the clip starting at 7:37. I've watched some videos of this here and there, but I NEVER knew that a tsunami could have that much power. It's just shocking. (And the aftermath in Indonesia was almost worse than this original desctruction, with the wealthy stealing up the land before the fisherman, etc. could return, leaving them to go homeless and live desparate lives in cities.)
The story of the people on top of the office building is heartbreaking. You watch this incredible maelstrom of water and debris and you know it'll just squash you like a bug if you somehow get caught in it. Terrible.
I remember seeing videos at the time. Cars stopped on overpasses just being swept away. What an absolutely horrific way to go.
I remember watching part of the clip shortly after the earthquake and this is as horrifying to watch now as it was back then. I can't imagine what people went through at the time, and not to mention all the lives that'd been lost. Just heart wrenching