On This Day, March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by a catastrophic triple disaster that caused unimaginable devastation. A powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake – the strongest ever recorded in the island nation – violently shook the region off the northeast coast of Honshu.
The massive quake triggered deadly tsunami waves reaching heights of over 130 feet in some areas. These towering walls of water barreled inland, decimating entire coastal cities and towns in the TÅhoku region. Videos captured the chilling scenes of the tsunamis mercilessly sweeping away homes, cars, ships, and anything in their paths.
In total, the earthquake and tsunamis killed over 18,000 people, with many more still missing and presumed dead. Whole communities were simply erased from the landscape by the destructive force of nature.
As if the loss of life and scale of destruction was not horrific enough, the natural disaster then initiated a catastrophic nuclear accident. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was overwhelmed by the tsunami, causing Level 7 meltdowns in three reactors and the release of massive amounts of radiation.
The triple punch of quake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis made this one of the worst compound disasters in modern history. Eight years later, the tsunami-devastated areas were still rebuilding, and the nuclear fallout left many locations uninhabitable. March 11, 2011 went down as one of Japan’s darkest days.
