Alert for potential mega-quake in Japan issued, tsunami warnings still in effect

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued an alert for a potential mega-quake, following the magnitude 7.7 quake on Monday. The agency says residents in seven prefectures should prepare for disaster and listen for any updates.

Officials say there is an increased probability of a mega-quake along two deep-sea trenches in the Pacific Ocean. The alert covers 182 cities and towns from Hokkaido to Chiba.

The agency raised the scale of the quake from magnitude 7.5 to 7.7 that occurred off the coast of Sanriku, Iwate Prefecture at 4:52 p.m. local time, and had an intensity of upper 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 in the hardest-hit areas. The depth of the quake is estimated to be 19 kilometers.

Class 3 long tremors in Tohoku

Long tremors that could rock high-rise buildings have been recorded in Tohoku. The agency calls this “long-period ground motion.” It affects people on higher floors. A four-level scale ranks their intensity.

Class 3 tremors make it difficult to remain standing. These were felt in Wakuya Town in Miyagi Prefecture and Yokote City in Akita Prefecture. Experts say they can be strong enough to topple furniture.

Tsunami up to 3 meters high forecast

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for Iwate Prefecture and Pacific coasts of Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures. Tsunami up to 3 meters high are expected.

It has issued tsunami advisories to other coastal areas of Hokkaido and Aomori. It has also issued advisories to Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. The water may reach up to 1 meter in those areas.

80-centimeter tsunami observed

One 80-centimeter tsunami has struck Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, and the water is still rising. A 40-centimeter tsunami has also struck Miyako Port in Iwate Prefecture, Urakawa Town in Hokkaido and Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture. Less than 30-centimeter tsunami have reached other parts of Japan.

Weather officials held a news conference on Monday, saying the second and third waves could be higher than the first one. They urged residents who received tsunami warnings to evacuate until the warnings are lifted.

They also advised people in Japan to watch out for earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 5, especially in the coming days.

Over 170,000 residents ordered to evacuate

The government says 171,957 residents in Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures had been ordered to evacuate as of 6:45 p.m. on Monday.
It set up a task force at the crisis management center of the Prime Minister’s Office immediately after the earthquake.

Airports operating normally

The operators of airports in Shin-chitose and Sendai say their operations have not been affected due to the quake.

Shinkansen suspended as of 7 p.m.

The operator of Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train says the service has been suspended between Tokyo station and Shin-Aomori station. It had been halted because of the earthquake. The Yamagata Shinkansen has halted services between Tokyo and Fukushima stations. The Akita Shinkansen has also been suspended between Tokyo and Morioka stations. The Tokaido Shinkansen is operating as normal.

All local JR lines in Iwate Prefecture have halted services. And some local JR lines in Hokkaido have stopped services.

No abnormality at Fukushima plants

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it’s confirmed there are no abnormalities at its Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear plants. The operator also says there’s been no change in radiation levels around the sites.

Further north, the Tohoku Electric Power Company says currently there are no abnormalities at either its Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture or its Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture.

The Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company says there are no abnormalities at the interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in Aomori Prefecture.

Source: NHK
-- Agencies