Japan: Disruptions ongoing March 22 after magnitude-7.3 earthquake strikes east of Honshu Island late March 16

Event

Japanese authorities are continuing their response to a magnitude-7.3 earthquake that struck off the east coast of Honshu late March 16. As of early March 22, officials have confirmed three fatalities in Miyagi Prefecture and another death in Fukushima Prefecture. Reports also indicate at least 234 injuries in Akita, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Iwate, Kanagawa, Miyagi, Niigata, Saitama, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Yamanashi prefectures, with damages to at least 237 houses, mainly in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures.

Authorities have issued an electricity supply warning March 22; air temperatures are forecast to drop and the grid is likely to come under strain as the demand for electricity increases. Authorities have requested households and businesses to conserve energy; blackouts are possible. More than two million homes lost power following the earthquake, though crews have restored most supplies. The Hirono Thermal Power Station in Hirono Town, Fukushima Prefecture, remains non-operational. As of March 22, water outages remain ongoing in mountainous and higher elevation areas of Fukushima Prefecture, including Soma and Minamisoma cities and Shinchi Town. The water supply in Miyagi Prefecture has normalized.

Officials temporarily suspended numerous railways, metros, airports, and bus lines across eastern Honshu for damage assessments immediately after the earthquake; most services have since resumed. A Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen train derailed near Shiroishi, Miyagi Prefecture, injuring three people. Train services between Nasu-Shiobara in Tochigi Prefecture and Morioka in Iwate prefecture remain suspended. Services between Nasushiobara and Koriyama stations in Fukushima Prefecture and between Ichinoseki and Morioka stations in Iwate Prefecture are scheduled to resume March 22. JR East estimates that regular operations will resume by April 20.

Context

The magnitude-7.3 earthquake occurred east of Honshu Island at around 23:36 March 16. The epicenter was about 57 km (35 miles) east-northeast of Namie. Reports indicate violent shaking in large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo. Additionally, observed tsunami waves at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture suggest the waves were smaller than initially feared. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) has since lifted all tsunami advisories for the east coast of Honshu and Hokkaido, and officials have canceled all evacuation orders. Additional aftershocks are possible in the short term and may hamper recovery and response efforts. A magnitude-5.5 aftershock occurred at around 00:52 March 17.

Advice

Continue to confirm transport schedules and arrangements, and seek updated information on road conditions before driving in affected areas. Plan for possible power outages. Vacate multistoried buildings or unreinforced structures in areas where strong shaking occurred; aftershocks could cause additional damage.