Waves as high as 5 meters anticipated around quake's epicenter

In just 90 minutes, central Japan saw a staggering 21 earthquakes

Tsunami warnings prompt authorities to move residents away from coastline

A powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami wreaked havoc in central Japan and along its western coast on January 1. Authorities issued evacuation warnings for coastal regions, urging residents to seek higher ground. The USGS cautioned that waves as high as 5 meters were anticipated within 300 km of the quake’s epicenter.

In response to the imminent threat, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for the western coastal areas of Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama prefectures. Concurrently, Russia issued tsunami alerts for its far eastern cities, Vladivostok and Nakhodka.

Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures suffered power outages affecting over 36,000 households, as reported by Hokuriku Electric Power. Major coastal highways were closed, impacting transportation. In a span of just over 90 minutes on January 1, central Japan experienced a staggering 21 earthquakes measuring 4.0 magnitude or higher, with the most intense registering at 7.6. Subsequent tsunami warnings prompted authorities to instruct residents to move away from the coastline.

A video of the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan in which crows are cawing! #Japan #earthquakejapan https://t.co/XKxr9Rxv5E

— NewsFirst Prime (@NewsFirstprime) January 1, 2024

The city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture bore the brunt of a tsunami exceeding 1.2 meters at 4:21 p.m. local time on January 1. High-speed rail services to Ishikawa were suspended, and Japanese airlines took swift action, with ANA diverting four planes midair and Japan Airlines canceling the majority of flights to Niigata and Ishikawa for the remainder of the day.