New Year’s Day M7.5 Earthquake Shakes Japan’s West Coast
While the exact number of fatalities is still uncertain, at the time of writing there are reports of at least 64 fatalities. Based on the intensity of shaking, our impact estimates indicate that property and economic damages could potentially exceed $1 billion. The quake caused severe shaking in the city of Nanao (population 45,000), with the shaking in Tokyo being much lighter. Monday’s quake induced a tsunami of nearly 3 feet (0.8 meters) in Japan. No tsunami warning was issued for the United States or any of its territories, nor did the tsunami reach the U.S. For many, the quake