An earthquake with a magnitude of 9 struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami with waves up to 29.6 meters high. Over 15,000 people were confirmed dead and thousands more were missing. The tsunami caused widespread destruction, damaging over 16,000 homes and buildings. It also caused a nuclear incident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, damaging reactor cores and containment structures and releasing radioactive material into the surrounding area. The disaster highlighted Japan's quick emergency response but also issues with the country's nuclear evacuation plans and public information management during the ongoing nuclear problems.

1. Disaster in Japan11 March 2011David AlexanderGlobal Risk Forum Davos

2. 14:46 Friday 11 March 2011Earthquakeepicentre: 130 km off coast

3. hypocentre: 24 km deep

4. magnitude: 9Tsunamiheight:11.87 - 29.6 m

5. magnitude:3.6 to 4.9

6. 7 waves in 6 hours tsunami warning available in 3 minutes

7. arrival time was 9-26 minutes

8. 443 km2 inundated

9. only vertical evacuation was feasible

10. old and infirm people most at risk?

11. r/c buildings safe, other structures not14,517 confirmed dead

12. 11,432 missing

13. 78 bodies recovered in first three days of April possibly 1000 bodies in the 20km nuclear exclusion zone

14. In some instances, such as this case,there was no one to rescue.

15. 54 of 174 cities in fourprefectures affected (1/3)

16. 16,950 homes and buildings destroyed and 138,000 damaged in 7 prefectures 170,500 people in 2,230 evacuation centres in 17 prefectures 70,409 families living in centres

17. 4000 schools damaged and 554 used as evacuation centres

18. 30,000 transitional houses to be supplied in two months: construction has started on 4,216 damage estimated at €216 billion ($309 billion) - more than twice the cost of 1995 Kobe earthquake (€92 bn) insured property losses: 4.5-11.3%Fukushima DaiichiReactors 1, 2 and 3:-damage to the cores from cooling problems

19. buildings holed by gas explosion

20. containment damage possible

21. radioactive water detected in reactor,basement and groundwaterleaking crack in containment pit of reactor no. 2Reactor 4:-shut down prior to quake.

22. fires and explosion in spent fuel pondReactors 5 and 6:-reactors shut down.

23. temperature of spent fuel pools was very high. safe limits exceeded 40 km away

24. radioactivity at plant 100,000 times usual level

25. radioactive iodine in the sea near the plant 4,385 times usual level 70% of one reactor core severely damaged and 30% of anotherFukushima Daiichi

26. 20-km radius: 70,000 long-term evacuees