Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture may be the target of another tsunami after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded off of the coast of the are. Authorities have said that they are expecting a 1 meter tsunami to hit the coast before 1:40 EST. The area was hit by a large tidal wave in March of 2011 that caused widespread disaster and led to huge problems at the Fukushima power plant.
Because of the way the earthquake measurement works, a 7,3 magnitude earthquake is much less powerful than one with a magnitude of 9. It is not the size of the earthquake that is the most important factor for Fukushima, however, it is the size of the Tidal wave it causes.
Fukushima tsunami
The tsunami that hit Fukushima back in 2011 was up to 40 meters high in places. Today’s wave will be tiny by comparison, and it is unlikely to have the kind of effect that the 2011 tsunami had in Fukushima. Residents of the area should still seek shelter, particularly if they are near the coast.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says that there is no widespread tsunami hazard from the earthquake.There has been no infromation on whether or not the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was heavily damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, will be affected by today’s wave. The power plant is still a critical danger, and it is still leaking radiation into the surrounding area.
We will update this post as soon as new information about the effect of the tsunami on Fukushima becomes available.
