On 2011 March 11 at 14:46
Japanese Standard Time, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit undersea in the
western Pacific Ocean about 70 kilometers off the coast of the Oshika
Peninsula. What soon followed was a massive tsunami which produced waves up to 40
meters in height that swept over eastern Japan.
Six months later, people
return to cities and villages that were swept away by the tsunami to mourn for their
loved ones and visit their former homes. Much of the debris has been cleared
from the streets, but no amount of cleaning and clearing can pick up the
memories of the over 15,000 people who died in the hands of Mother Nature that
day.
The earthquake itself is measured
to be one of the most powerful with modern scientific record-keeping.
Earthquakes of such large magnitude have numerous aftershocks that dissipate
over time. However, the rate and magnitude of those shocks reciprocate with
respect to the length of the quake. In the past six months, over eight hundred
of magnitude 4.5 or greater has rumbled throughout the ocean floor. Calculations
predict thousands of minor mini-shocks to occur through the following five years.
The relief act has been
extensive. Thousands have been relocated into permanent housing, but still the
quake has left many without their homes and without their loved ones. The
tsunami is categorized as one of the worst natural disasters, surpassing
Hurricane Katrina in almost every aspect imaginable: property damage, people
displacement, monetary impact, and cultural significance. To think that people
are still recovering from Katrina, how long will it take for the people of
Japan to rest peacefully at night?
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