By William Tucker
Several days ago the Japanese island of Honshu was struck by a megathrust earthquake measuring a 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale. Following the earthquake a large tsunami devastated much of the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture and ultimately caused damage to three nuclear power plants. According to media reports at least two nuclear reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi plant have already experienced a meltdown with a third reactor not too far behind. All told the Sendai earthquake and tsunami of 2011, as it is now known, is the most powerful recorded earthquake to strike Japan and is the fifth most powerful quake in modern history.
Although the devastation following the quake and tsunami is quite substantial Japan has done rather well in preparing for natural disasters. The people of Japan know full well that they live in a earthquake prone region and have gone to great lengths to prepare first responders and the Japanese Self Defense Forces in responding to disasters. Unlike recent disasters in Haiti and Pakistan, Japan has robust infrastructure capable of supporting massive transportation needs in the form of roadways, rail, and of course, large port facilities. It is the latter that will help with the immediate recovery needs. As an island nation, Japan has long coast lines that allow large vessels, such as U.S. aircraft carriers, to move supplies into the devastated areas without having to repair damaged infrastructure first. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
It is true that every Japanese citizen will, in one way or another, be impacted by this tragedy, but it is very likely that the nation will come out of this disaster much stronger. Japan has shown that it can learn and adapt from past disasters by implementing new mitigating techniques. This alone sets Japan apart from so many other nations that live in disaster prone areas. It just goes to show that while rescue and recovery is important when a crisis occurs, so too is preparing for the next disaster.
If you wish to donate to disaster relief efforts, the White House has published a list of credible charities available here.
Photo: Associated Press
Video: CNN
Comments are closed.