A major earthquake shook northern Japan on Saturday.
The magnitude 6.3 quake struck around 12:35 p.m. local time under the ocean about 400 miles north northeast of Tokyo. The quake was 8.4 miles underground and did not produce a tsunami.
Because of the location of the quake, only a small amount of damage and minor injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, Japan’s nuclear regulatory commission said that the tsunami in 2011 was the cause of the damage and meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The massive earthquake did not cause enough damage to launch the plant into a meltdown.
The plant also announced last week they had made improvements that would now require an 89 foot wave to cause damage.
Typhoon Vongfong has roared into Japan leaving a trail of flooding, damage and death.
The storm struck the Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu prefects on Monday. At least one person is missing and presumed dead and 61 people were injured in the initial waves of the storm.
The storm struck on the last day of a three-day holiday weekend. The city of Shizuoka ordered 212,000 households making up over 506,000 people to leave ahead of the storm.
Railway service across the nation was suspended in preparation for the storm.
The storm is weakening rapidly as it moves across the nation; it had been downgraded to Tropical Storm status around noon eastern time.
The year’s most powerful storm is focusing on Okinawa.
Japan, which has been recovering from a strike from Typhoon Phanfone last week that dumped heavy rain and battered the country with high winds, is directly in the path of Typhoon Vongfong.
Vongfong is classified as a “Super Typhoon” and is over open water. The Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center says the storm has sustained winds of 179 miles per hour and gusts over 219 miles per hour. Forecasts say the sustained winds will strengthen to 190 miles per hour at the storm’s peak.
Vongfong is the sixth “Super Typhoon” in the Pacific this year. While the storm season has seen half the usual amount of storms, the number of Super Typhoons is double the season average.
Japanese officials are concerned about the storm striking so soon after Phanfone, which disrupted air and sea travel, led to the disappearance of two American soldiers and forced suspension of searches for bodies on Mount Ontake.
The death toll in the Mount Ontake eruption is the worst for Japan in 88 years.
Military rescue units reported finding more bodies buried in ash, bringing the death toll to 47. The searchers were called down from the mountain after the discovery after a discovery of poisonous gasses and fears the mountain was about to explode again.
The mountain had been covered with climbers and hikers who were looking at the fall colors of the leaves when the unexpected eruption blanketed the area with ash. Hundreds were injured in some way by the blast and also breathing issues from the ash.
Witnesses said that there was no warning at all before the mountain erupted.
The death toll is the worst since 144 people died in a 1926 eruption on the island of Hokkaido.
Japanese officials say at least 36 people are feared dead after the unexpected eruption of Mount Ontake.
Rescuers on the peak say they’ve discovered five more bodies under the grey ash that makes the mountain look like the surface of the moon. The search for victims is being suspended because of fears of toxic gases breaking through the mountain.
At least 12 people are confirmed to be dead with 63 injuries. At least 8 are missing and officials say it’s likely the missing people are dead.
The eruption of the mountain’s over 10,000-foot peak struck when hundreds of climbers were on the mountain. The mountain is a site where families would take children to see the leaves change color or to enjoy the breathtaking views.
Now, the paths on the mountain have ash as much as knee-deep.
The last major eruption of the mountain was in 1979 although there was a minor eruption seven years ago.
Japan’s Metrological Agency said they might reconsider their surveillance system for volcanoes.
While the islands of Japan are still dealing with a weakening Typhoon Neoguri, which continues to dump heavy rain across the country, they are now dealing with the fallout of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake.
A tsunami advisory was issued for the area with waves increasing up to a meter in height. Local officials say the currents in rivers and oceans have reached dangerous levels and are telling residents to stay out of the water.
The quake was centered about five miles deep and off the shore of Fukushima, the site of the catastrophic nuclear meltdown in 2011. No damage has been reported at the plant and no release of additional radiation beyond that which has been leaking for the last three years.
Most of Japan has been dealing with massive flooding from Typhoon Neoguri, which struck the island days ago with wind gusts over 155 miles per hour. Three people have been confirmed dead from the storm with hundreds injured. One of the dead was confirmed to be a 12 year boy who died when his home was buried in a mudslide.
Typhoon Neoguri slammed Japan’s southern islands, and is now on a war path to the mainland.
Although the storm will no longer be called a super typhoon by the time it reaches the mainland, residents should still expect heavy rain, wind damage, power outages, and flooding Wednesday and Thursday.
“I’m calling the heads of municipalities not to hesitate in issuing evacuation warnings and don’t be afraid of being overcautious, “ said Keiji Furuya, the state minister in charge of disaster management.
Brg. Gen. James Hecker warned residents to take serious precautions.
“During the typhoon, do not go outside…anything not tied down, even small items, could become deadly projectiles.”
Okinawa and other islands in the Ryukyu Island chain south of Japan were hit with sustained winds of over 70 mph on Tuesday when the strongest typhoon of 2014 struck.
Typhoon Neoguri shattered buildings, damaged stores, and toppled trees as it made its way through the islands.
The Japan Times reported parts of Nagasaki recorded the heaviest rainfall in 50 years with over six inches of rain falling in three hours. Landslides and flash flooding was also reported.
Orders to evacuate to safer shelter were given to 540,000 people in the Okinawa Prefecture and 107,300 people were without power Tuesday night.
Americans stationed at Kadena Air Base were also prepared for the storm. They evacuated aircraft to other bases.
On the base’s website, Birg. Gen. James Hecker gave this statement: “I can’t stress enough how dangerous this typhoon may be when it hits Okinawa. This is the most powerful typhoon forecast to hit the island in 15 years; we expect damaging winds to arrive by early Tuesday morning.”
Currently there has been only one death when a man’s boat was overtaken by high waves from the storm, according to Reuters. Local news reports 25 injuries in the Okinawa Prefecture at this time.
Typhoon Neoguri is expected to hit Mainland Japan by Wednesday night.
A new volcano that erupted from the ocean last November and created it’s own small island has now grown to the point is has completely engulfed a neighboring volcano.
Niijima Island appeared out of the ocean in November and by the end of March created a landmass about a kilometer in length. The island is now 200 feet above sea level at its tallest point and it continues to rise.
Scientists had initially said the island would disappear back into the ocean but now say it’s uncertain how large the island could grow until after the volcano stops erupting.
The island is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and located about 600 miles south of Tokyo.
Soldiers from the USS Ronald Reagan quickly jumped in to help the victims of the 2011 tsunami that devastated Japan.
The troops were simply fulfilling their long held mission of helping the poor and unfortunate throughout the world.
Now, months later, some of the troops involved in the rescue are finding themselves being diagnosed with cancers that could be connected to radiation exposure. At least 51 Navy sailors have been found to have diseases likely connected to radiation.
Two soldiers are speaking out about the situation.
Quartermaster Maurice Enis said that a few months after their deployment to the coastline a few miles from the stricken Fukushima Nuclear Plant, he found strange lumps on his body. He was diagnosed with radiation poisoning and told his illness would get worse. His fiancée, Jamie Plym, said she suffered gynecological symptoms and hemorrhaging so bad she needed to be hospitalized.
The soldiers are now suing Tokyo Electric Power Company claiming the company did not warn the Navy that the tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown and sent huge amounts of contaminated water into the sea. The troops ended up within two miles of the plant while the company ordered an evacuation of towns as far as 12 miles from the plant for safety reasons.
The soldiers say they don’t blame the Navy which acted in good faith.
