Tsunami from 2011 Japan Earthquake Rocks Coast Guard Ship (Video)

The caption reads: “March 11, 2011 — the day Japan was shaken by one of the deadliest tsunamis in history. A Japanese Coast Guard ship spotted the wave in the distance. They measured it. Timed it. What happened next was caught on camera — as the crew braced for impact, knowing they were heading straight into the heart of the storm.”

That earthquake was the most powerful ever recorded in Japan, and the fourth most powerful tremor ever recorded since modern seismology began. It resulted in massive damage, nearly 20,000 deaths, waves reaching up to 133 feet, and the destruction of the Fukushima nuclear plant – an environmental catastrophe still lingering today.

As for the tsunami, per Britannica, “The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific basin. The tsunami raced outward from the epicenter at speeds that approached about 500 miles (800 km) per hour. It generated waves 11 to 12 feet (3.3 to 3.6 meters) high along the coasts of Kauai and Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands chain and 5-foot (1.5-metre) waves along the island of Shemya in the Aleutian Islands chain. Several hours later 9-foot (2.7-metre) tsunami waves struck the coasts of California and Oregon in North America.”

Goes to show the destructive and pervasive nature of these natural disasters. And serves as a stark reminder, and warning, for those to come.