WhereIsAtlas · Natural disaster

2011 Tōhoku Earthquake & Tsunami

The magnitude 9 quake and tsunami that killed ~19,700 and crippled Fukushima

Concluded — A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 killed about 19,700 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear accident.

On 11 March 2011, at 2:46 pm local time, a magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake struck off the coast of the Tōhoku region in northeastern Japan. It was one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, shifting the island of Honshu about 2.4 metres east and briefly altering the Earth's rotation. The tremor triggered violent shaking across the country — but the catastrophe was the tsunami it unleashed.

Within about an hour, waves up to 40 metres tall crashed onto the Japanese coast, overwhelming sea walls, sweeping away entire towns and killing around 19,700 people. The tsunami also flooded the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, knocking out its backup power and setting off a meltdown and nuclear accident — the worst since Chernobyl. A meltdown and hydrogen explosions followed, forcing mass evacuations and contaminating a wide area.

The aftermath was a national turning point. Japan rebuilt thousands of kilometre of coastline, largely abandoned nuclear power under popular pressure, and put the disaster — the most expensive ever, with damages estimated over $300 billion — at the centre of a hard public reckoning about risk, preparedness and the limits of engineering against nature.

Timeline

Mar 11, 2011 — The earthquake: A magnitude 9.0 quake strikes off the coast of Tōhoku, shaking the whole country. (Honshu, Japan)
Mar 11, 2011 — The tsunami: Waves up to 40 metres surge inland, destroying towns and killing roughly 19,700 people.
Mar 11, 2011 — Fukushima fails: The tsunami floods the plant, knocking out power and starting a nuclear meltdown.
2011-2013 — Recovery: Japan begins a massive rebuild and gradually suspends its nuclear fleet.
Today — A changed nation: Japan remains smaller, more earthquake-prepared and largely nuclear-free.

Quick facts

Earthquake: M 9.0, Mar 11, 2011
Deaths: ≈ 19,700 (mostly tsunami)
Max wave: ≈ 40 m at Miyako
Damage: > $300 billion
Nuclear: Fukushima Daiichi meltdown

Sources

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-02-15)
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 — Encyclopædia Britannica (2026-02-15)
Fukushima nuclear accident — Wikipedia (2026-02-15)