Japan displayed its state-of-the-art warning system during the Russia earthquake

The shockwave from the most powerful earthquake in more than a decade—the 8.8 magnitude quake that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday—has revived a catastrophic scenario in Japan that still lingers in the collective memory: that of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Although the quake was barely felt in the Japanese archipelago (the territory outside Russia closest to the epicenter), the Asian country responded swiftly and with discipline to the possibility of a tsunami hitting its coast again. Late Wednesday (local time), the Japanese Meteorology Agency lowered the alarm levels for the entire territory, although an advisory urging the population to exercise extreme caution remains in effect.

At around 8:37 a.m. local time (7:37 p.m. in Washington, D.C.), just 12 minutes after the earthquake struck, the Japanese meteorology agency issued the first tsunami warning for its population. An hour later, at 9:40 a.m., when the magnitude of the earthquake was updated, the level was raised to the second highest on a scale of three. At no point during the day was the maximum alert declared.

Japan, with more than 1,000 seismograph stations distributed throughout the nation, boasts one of the most advanced earthquake and tsunami warning systems in the world. It is designed to quickly detect the first seismic waves and is capable of anticipating the arrival of the strongest waves seconds in advance. If the system estimates that the earthquake could cause strong shaking in inhabited areas, it issues a warning, which is not only published on the Meteorology Agency’s website and official app, but also broadcast on television, radio, and public address systems, and via push notifications to mobile phones.

The National Fire and Disaster Management Agency has estimated that nearly two million people received evacuation orders on Wednesday. They were residents of 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast.

Japanese scale

The Japanese seismic scale (Shindo) has seven levels and measures the intensity of ground shaking and its destructive potential. Despite Japan’s proximity to the epicenter of the earthquake, the quake only registered a maximum magnitude of two in five cities in Hokkaido, the country’s northernmost prefecture. Level two means the earthquake could be felt indoors and that hanging objects (such as lamps) swayed slightly. Weather authorities also immediately assess whether the quake has the potential to generate a tsunami. They also estimate the height, speed, and expected time of arrival of waves in each province and, depending on the magnitude of the swell, issue three types of alerts: yellow, orange, and red.

The Japanese public broadcaster NHK renewed its advice for the public, reminding them of the importance of being familiar with evacuation plans in advance and regularly reviewing emergency routes in buildings and neighborhoods. In Japan, drills are held regularly throughout the year. Around September 1, declared National Disaster Prevention Day, the largest drills take place nationwide in memory of the 1923 Kanto earthquake, which killed an estimated 105,000 to 142,000 people.

Schools and businesses organize between two and four drills per year, depending on local regulations, and coastal municipalities rehearse specific tsunami evacuations at least once a year. Nuclear facilities, for their part, are required to conduct annual joint drills with local governments and emergency services.

The Japanese Lifesaving Association, one of the most active organizations in public risk education, reminds everyone that any type of tsunami can be lethal and that waves less than one meter high should not be underestimated, since “the most terrifying thing about a tsunami is that [the waves] don’t stop.” “If you want to survive a tsunami, evacuate as soon as possible. If you do it after you’ve already seen it, it’s too late,” the association asserts.

Images released Wednesday by local media showed groups of people sheltering on rooftops and in public shelters located on higher ground, but no scenes of chaos were reported throughout the day. Authorities reported no serious damage or injuries, except for the death of a woman whose car plunged off a cliff while moving to a safer location, according to her family.

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