Strong quake hits Japan; northeast residents told to prepare emergency kits
TOKYO — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 hit northeastern Japanese coasts along Hokkaido and Iwate prefecture on Monday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Tsunami warnings have been issued.
At around 4:52 p.m., an earthquake with a maximum intensity of upper 5 on Japan’s seismic scale struck Aomori prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for the central Pacific coast of Hokkaido and for Iwate prefecture, forecasting waves of up to 3 meters. Waves measuring 80 centimeters were observed at Kuji Port in Iwate prefecture, while the city of Miyako recorded waves of 40 centimeters.
Tsunami advisories were also issued for the Pacific coast of Aomori prefecture as well as for Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, with expected wave heights of up to 1 meter.
At a news conference, the Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents of the quake-hit regions in northeastern Japan and Hokkaido to exercise caution over the coming week for earthquakes of similar magnitude. The Agency later issued a Hokkaido-Sanriku offshore subsequent earthquake advisory, citing an increased risk of stronger-than-usual quakes compared with normal conditions. The advisory applies to 182 municipalities across Hokkaido and six prefectures in the Tohoku and Kanto regions. It calls for heightened caution over the next week.
The agency is not asking for preemptive evacuations but is instead urging people to review preparedness measures such as securing furniture and readying emergency supply kits. If no major earthquakes occur during the week, the advisory will be lifted.
This marks only the second time such an advisory has been issued. The first came four months ago, in December, following an earthquake that recorded an upper 6 intensity in Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture.
According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, evacuation orders had been issued to a total of about 171,000 people in parts of Hokkaido and Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures as of 6:45 p.m. Some local governments opened evacuation shelters.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said no abnormalities had been detected at the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants. It was the Daichi plant that suffered three meltdowns after the devastating quake and tsunami of March 2011. Tohoku Electric Power said it had confirmed no abnormalities at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi prefecture.
According to East Japan Railway, Tohoku Shinkansen services were suspended in both directions between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori due to a temporary power outage caused by the earthquake. Services on the entire line have since resumed.
