Japan: 7.3-magnitude earthquake strikes east of Honshu Island at around 23:36 March 16; tsunami threat for east coast of Honshu

Event

A magnitude-7.3 earthquake occurred east of Honshu Island, Japan, at around 23:36 March 16. The epicenter was about 66 km (41 miles) east-northeast of Namie. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued a Tsunami Advisory (the second-lowest level on a four-tier scale) for coastal areas of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, indicating a possible tsunami of 1 meter (3 feet) for these areas. The JMA has also issued a Tsunami Forecast (the lowest level) for the east coast of Honshu and southern and eastern coastal areas of Hokkaido.

This is a developing situation; additional information will be issued as warranted.

Advice

Move away from the immediate coastline; tsunamis can be long-duration events, and the threat may persist for hours. Vacate multistoried buildings or unreinforced structures in areas where strong shaking occurred; aftershocks could cause additional damage. Cellular networks may be overwhelmed; use text messaging if services are available. Due to the threat of landslides, seek updated information on road conditions before driving in hilly areas in the affected area.