The Great Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami (2011)

The 2011 Great Tōhoku Earthquake was a powerful magnitude 9.0 undersea quake off Japan’s coast, triggering a massive tsunami. The quake's immense energy caused widespread destruction, collapsing buildings and damaging infrastructure. The tsunami waves, reaching up to 40 meters (131 feet), inundated coastal areas, causing severe flooding and loss of life. It also led to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, as cooling systems failed. Overall, the event resulted in approximately 16,000 deaths, extensive environmental damage, and a major humanitarian crisis, highlighting the devastating impact of natural disasters and the importance of preparedness and resilient infrastructure.