Effects of the Tōhoku Earthquake
The effects of the Tōhoku Earthquake of 2011 were one of the most widespread ever. It is estimated to have cost tens of billions of dollars of damage throughout Japan. Over 45,000 buildings were destroyed and 340,000 people were displaced, and that was just the start of it. 1.5 million households were left without access to water supplies and 4.4 million were left without electricity. However, the biggest effect and most prominently known is the Fukushima meltdowns. Radioactive material was released from the containment vessels for several reasons: deliberate venting to reduce gas pressure; deliberate discharge of coolant water into the sea; and uncontrolled events. Concerns about the possibility of a large scale release led to a 20 kilometres exclusion zone around the power plant and recommendations that people within the surrounding 20–30 km zone stay indoors. Many foreign countries asked their citizens to consider leaving Tokyo, fearing that could be contaminated. Trace amounts of radioactive waste were widely observed from the incident. Small amounts of radioactive waste were first released in the Pacific Ocean. However, by day 15 radioactive waste had spread throughout the atmosphere and was detectable all across the northern hemisphere.
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