ARE WE READY FOR THE NEXT BIG QUAKE?

Courtesy: Kyodo News Agency

The recent M8.9 earthquake which shook Japan on Friday is something Philippine officials should be bothered about. If the next big quake occurs in the country, especially in Metro Manila, earthquake experts are saying that we are unprepared and the country's cities could crumble if this big quake strikes.

THE CASE OF JAPAN. In Japan, a country that is so used to earthquakes and have been preparing for the big one in recent decades, seismology experts are still awed by the power and the extent of damage the recent earthquake caused. Years of research in earthquake-proofing were laid to waste as it was no match to brunt of the tsunami which swept the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. Heavy seas pushed 6-10 kilometers inland, inundating trees, cars, houses and roads on its way. Even in a country whose response to natural disasters have been quick and highly organized, there are still problems.

If it could happen to Japan, it could also happen to the Philippines. Our country lies along major earthquake faults, some of which lies along major cities and could potentially shake in the future.

JAPAN BRACES FOR MELTDOWN

Reactor No.1 after the explosion. Reuters/Tepco

UPDATED (As of 8:30 PM, Manila Time) 

Okuma, Japan -- Officials at an embattled nuclear power plant in the northeast of Japan are desperately trying to cool down a nuclear reactor in the brink of a possible meltdown after a failed shutdown in the wake of Friday's devastating M8.9 earthquake. According to officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), cooling systems at another reactor inside the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant also failed hours after an explosion at reactor no. 1 occurred, stoking fears of a meltdown. The company has clarified that the explosion was caused not by a meltdown, but by hydrogen gas which formed after workers pumped seawater in the superheated reactor to cool it down. The hydrogen gas was allowed to escape in order to relieve pressure inside the reactor causing the explosion which destroyed the reactor's concrete housing but not the reactor itself.

The Day Japan Stood Still

UPDATED (as of March 12, 2011 7:30 PM, Philippine time) -- Japan, one of the fast-paced countries in the world, with its rapidly growing economy, rapid transport system and rapidly evolving technological society has stood still in the wake of the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in 100 years. The magnitude 8.9 earthquake occurred at 2:46 PM (local time) of March 11, 2011, some 150 kilometers off the coast of Sendai city in Miyagi prefecture. The quake, which damaged homes, buildings, roads, train systems, power plants and power lines was followed soon after by a 23-feet (10-meter) high tsunami which surged inland bringing with it debris of homes, farms and shipping -- some even burning after being washed away by waves of tremendous force.

Tsunami slams Japan after 8.9 magnitude quake

UPDATED (As of March 11, 2011 10:20 PM, Philippine Time) -- It almost seemed as if you're watching scenes from a disaster movie as Japanese national broadcaster NHK showed scenes of the tsunami wrecking havoc in Miyagi prefecture after a strong magnitude 8.9 earthquake which struck Japan at 2:35 PM (local time). The earthquake occured undersea, 150 kilometers off the coast of Sendai city and was felt as far as the capital Tokyo.

In videos and pictures provided by NHK, office equipment and fixtures were seen shaking and tumbling as the tremors rocked Sendai City. People were seen rushing out of buildings or going on rooftops. Some buildings were also seen on fire with emergency response units desperately trying to put the fires out. A few minutes later, the worst occurs as footage of the deadly tsunami is shown entering the port of Kamaishi in Iwate prefecture, washing away cars, yachts and warehouses into the city center. According to the US Geological Survey, as high as 10-meter waves hit cities in the northeast of the country, as shown in footages that followed soon after from Sendai. Farms, houses, vehicles -- some even on fire -- were pushed away by rapidly moving water from the sea. Some vehicles in highways are seen turning back, while others were simply caught without warning. From the helicopter footages, you can see how powerful this tsunami is.