A series of powerful earthquakes off central Japan’s west coast prompted tsunami warnings Monday, with residents urged to seek higher ground. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the Noto region, on the western side of Japan’s main island of Honshu, was hit by a rapid series of quakes — about 20 in total — starting with a 5.7 magnitude temblor at 4:06 p.m. local time.
The series of quakes included a major 7.6-magnitude quake, a 6.1 magnitude temblor, and several others of significant magnitude. The first tsunami waves, around four feet high, hit Ishikawa prefecture’s Wajima port about an hour after the quakes struck, and there were warnings of more possible tsunami, as high as 16 feet, still to come in Ishikawa.
Presenters on the national broadcaster NHK urged people in the region to leave everything behind and move quickly to higher ground. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 300 km of the epicenter along the coasts of Japan, with waves possibly reaching up to five meters high.
Power companies that operate nuclear plants in the region reported no immediate problems, and the government later appeared to confirm the safety of the plants. However, there was damage from the quakes, with buildings collapsing in Ishikawa. More than 36,000 households lost electricity in the Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, according to the Reuters news agency.
The earthquakes and subsequent tsunami warnings recalled the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeast Japan on March 11, 2011, which devastated a vast swathe of the country’s coastline and triggered nuclear reactor meltdowns in Fukushima. Authorities remain on alert as they continue to assess the extent of the damage caused by the recent quakes.