Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Japan on Friday, 11 March 2011 was the most powerful earthquake ever to have hit Japan. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres (133 ft) and traveled as far as 10 km (6 mi) inland. The earthquake moved Honshu 2.4 m (8 ft) east and shifted the Earth on its axis by estimates of between 10 cm (4 in) and 25 cm (10 in).
The Death toll sits at 15,844 deaths, 5,890 injured and 3,451 people missing as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed including the ongoing meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant complex. The World Bank estimated the total economic cost at US$235 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster in world history.