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Washington coastal communities build upward after lessons of 2011 Japan tsunami
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which caused a tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, drove home the importance of tsunami preparedness Author: Glenn Farley Updated: 10:18 AM PST March 11, 2021
Thursday, March 11 marks 10 years since Japan’s Tohoku earthquake in 2011.
The magnitude 9.1 temblor and the tsunami that followed killed 16,000 people, caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant to meltdown and sent huge amounts of debris to Washington’s beaches. The disaster was also a reminder of the kind of quake and tsunami that will happen on our own coastline, as more communities prepare for that day.
Washington coastal communities build upward after lessons of 2011 Japan tsunami Glenn Farley
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Thursday, March 11 marks 10 years since Japan’s Tohoku earthquake in 2011.
The magnitude 9.1 temblor and the tsunami that followed killed 16,000 people, caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant to meltdown and sent huge amounts of debris to Washington’s beaches. The disaster was also a reminder of the kind of quake and tsunami that will happen on our own coastline, as more communities prepare for that day.
Washington coastal communities build upward after lessons of 2011 Japan tsunami
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“I can’t think of a single other event that has motivated state, federal and local partners to move forward with tsunami evacuation and mitigation planning,” says Tim Cook, who leads hazard mitigation for Washington’s Emergency Management Division.
Nisqually earthquake 20 years later; are we prepared for the next big one? Siemny Kim
It’s been 20 years since the Nisqually earthquake shook the region. It was one of the biggest earthquakes to rattle the area in decades.
KIRO 7 spoke to a panel of experts, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and from the state, who reflected on their memories of that day.
“I was on 45th Ave NE at the Starbucks there when the shaking started. A student of mine had to grab me and say it’s an earthquake - we got to go,” recounted Bill Steele from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
How pandemic lessons could help Washington prepare for next earthquake Glenn Farley
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We may not think of COVID-19 as a disaster in the traditional sense like an earthquake or a hurricane, but Washington state is treating it like one and for good reason.
“The impact to individuals, the impacts to our society – there’s absolutely no question this is a huge disaster,” said Robert Ezelle, director of Washington’s Emergency Management Division (EMD), which is part of the state’s military department.
No buildings have fallen down, no bridges collapsed, the power grid didn’t go out, but a lot of supplies need to be acquired and moved. There’s a lot of coordination going on and communications facilitated between the federal government, the Washington State Department of Health and other government agencies.