The disaster of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has wreaked havoc at a local level for the Japanese. The earthquake was soon followed by a massive tsunami wave reaching heights of over 120 feet. This tidal wave hit Japan’s Pacific coast and engulfed or destroyed everything in its path. The tsunami traveled as far as 6 miles inland.
Thousands upon thousands of buildings were destroyed by the combination of the earthquake and tsunami waves. Over 45,000 homes have been destroyed. More importantly, thousands of people have either died or gone missing. The loss of human life during this tragedy has been immense. As of April 5, 2011, the death toll had reached 12,321, and the number of missing people was at 15,347, while 80% of the bodies located had been identified. With the current figures, including those missing and presumed dead, the overall death count is expected to reach 27,000 at the minimum.
Around 165,000 people are still living in shelters because they either have no home to return to, or they live in an area currently without water or electricity, which is the case for much of Japan. Sadly, what may wind up being the lasting legacy of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is the failure of the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The destructive force of the earthquake and tsunami tidal wave caused severe damage to the plant, which is still facing the very real possibility of complete nuclear meltdown. On April 5, 2011, the local government of the Fukushima area said that waters around the nuclear facility contained radiation levels at 7.5 million times greater than government approved levels, seemingly leaking from one of the failing reactors. These issues are all complicated and they will have to be dealt with over time by the Japanese people as a nation.
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