A strong magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit northern Japan on Monday; it briefly triggered a tsunami alert and raised concerns about a possible larger quake along the coast.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the chances of a megaquake in the coming week are slightly higher than usual, about 1% instead of the usual 0.1%.
They made it clear it’s not a prediction, just a heads-up for people to stay alert
Officials encouraged residents to double-check their evacuation routes, shelters, and emergency supplies so that they can act quickly if needed.
More than 170,000 people in different prefectures were told to evacuate following the tsunami alerts.
It was the second-highest alert level, so people by the coast and rivers were told to get to higher ground or head to evacuation buildings as soon as possible.
This isn’t the first time in recent months that such a warning has been issued. A similar advisory was put in place after a magnitude 7.5 quake in December.
Even so, the latest quake brought back memories of the devastating 2011 disaster that hit the same region and led to a nuclear crisis in Fukushima.
Footage from local TV showed buildings shaking, objects swaying, and people crouching for safety inside a shopping mall in Aomori.
People were told to stay away from the coast and move to higher ground.
There were a couple of injuries reported, with two people injured after falling down during the shaking.
Train services were also affected; bullet trains running between Tokyo and northern areas were temporarily paused, leaving passengers waiting at the station until things were back up and running.
The quake struck off the Sanriku coast later in the afternoon and wasn’t very deep depth-wise.
Different agencies reported slightly different magnitudes, but both confirmed it was a powerful quake.
Small tsunami waves followed, with water levels rising by about 80 centimeters at one port and around 40 centimeters at another in Iwate. All tsunami alerts were later lifted.
Authorities also checked nearby nuclear facilities and confirmed everything was operating as normal.
It’s been around 15 years since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed over 22,000 people and forced hundreds of thousands to leave their homes, so even something smaller like this still makes people feel anxious.
