The inhabitants thought they were safe
On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean around 300 km north-east of Tokyo. Less than an hour later, a tsunami hit the coastline with a wave estimated to be thirty metres high in places. The water also penetrated up to ten kilometres inland, causing the death of several people. the disappearance of at least 18,500 people. This terrible tsunami caused the second biggest nuclear accident in history, after Chernobyl in 1986.
While the main concern at the moment seems to be the future of the contaminated water from Fukushima, another is just as important: protecting against future tsunamis devastating. On 5 March 2021, AFP reported on the situation ten years after the disaster. The publication cites the example of the small town of Taro in the prefecture of Iwate (north-east of the country). Before the terrible tsunami, the inhabitants thought they were safe. For local tourist guide Kumido Motoda, it was even the safest place in the world. the perfect city for disaster protection natural.
It has to be said that since the end of the 19th century, this locality has been hit several times by major tsunamis. So, as early as 1934, the local authority built 10 m high concrete ramparts over a distance of 2.4 km along the coast. The authorities have also installed 44 evacuation routes with solar-powered lighting. The aim? To enable residents to get to safety. in just ten minutes. Unfortunately, the 2011 tsunami generated waves 16 m high. As a result, the waters destroyed the ramparts and swept away houses and vehicles. The human toll from the disaster in Taro is 140 dead and 41 missing.
Since then, the Japanese government has invested the equivalent of ten billion euros in building (and rebuilding) ramparts in coastal regions. Coming soon, 430 km of continuous dykes should be completed in the three departments most affected in 2011, namely Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi. At Taro, the walls are now around 15 m high and once again cover more than 2 km of coastline.
Although the view of the sea is less obvious today, the experts justified the construction of the dykes. They cited dual protection The aim is to repel the force of the waves, while reducing damage and giving residents more time to take shelter. In addition, the new dykes have wider bases and their interiors have been reinforced. In addition, warning systems have been improved and evacuation routes optimised.
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