California Remembers the 2011 Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

This webpage presents our remembrance and perspective on the 2011 Tōhoku-oki Earthquake and Tsunami, including details of what happened in Japan and subsequently in California. The west coast of the U.S. will experience damaging tsunamis in the future and the Tōhoku-oki natural disaster provided valuable lessons to help California increase its resiliency for the next tsunami.

March 11, 2021 marks the 10 year remembrance of the 2011 Great Tōhoku-oki, Japan earthquake and tsunami. Over 18,000 people lost their lives in Japan from this event, and 97 percent of the fatalities can be attributed to the tsunami alone. The earthquake and tsunami led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and resulted in over $350B in total damages throughout the country, making it the costliest natural disaster in modern history. Ten years later, many areas impacted by this event are still recovering.

Natural hazards in California don't always originate in the state.

The  California Department of Conservation (DOC) , home to the  California Geological Survey (CGS) Tsunami Unit , plays a critical role in DOC's Hazard Management plan that helps inform California’s response to natural hazards. Lessons learned from events such as the 2011 Tōhoku-oki earthquake and tsunami are essential to protecting the state’s people, resources, and economy.

Content warning: This webpage contains images and video of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami that may be a trigger for some viewers.

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. (Japanese Standard Time; March 10, 9:46 p.m., Pacific Standard Time), a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan. A large, destructive tsunami was generated locally, with tsunami heights up to 128 feet (39 meters) and tsunami flooding that traveled over 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) inland in places. 

A teletsunami (a tsunami that travels a great distance across the ocean) was also generated, that propagated out across the deep ocean, putting the entire Pacific Ocean at risk. 

Shortly after the tsunami, community leaders formed groups to develop short- and long-term plans for recovery, as well as educate the public about impacts to their communities from the earthquake and tsunami. More recently, communities are showcasing how their areas have recovered and how they plan keep memories of the disaster alive.

For Japan, tsunami damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant and land-use planning decisions to rebuild or not rebuild in inundation areas are critical ongoing post-tsunami issues. 

For the first time since the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the town of Tomioka is slowly returning as evacuation orders are lifting. Nine years after the event, in March, 2020, trains resumed running full services through the area.

Take a detailed look at how the earthquake and tsunami impacted Japan with an in-depth multimedia tour ( click here ).

After the tsunami was generated off the coast of Japan, it traveled across the Pacific Ocean arriving along the California coast 10 hours later. 

Evacuations were called in some communities, and ports and harbors braced for the strong tsunami currents. In California, there was one fatality and twenty-seven ports and harbors that sustained damage totaling $100 million dollars.

Before, during, and after the tsunami arrived, CGS assisted the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and local emergency managers by providing background information on the earthquake and the likely impacts from the tsunami in California.

Four CGS geologists were deployed to observe the tsunami in real-time. After the event, CGS helped organize eight field teams to evaluate the impacts from the tsunami and assess any damage to communities, ports, and harbors. These assessments were used by the State to help obtain a Federal Disaster Declaration and the funding assistance which comes with the declaration.

Take a detailed look at how the tsunami impacted California with an in-depth multimedia tour ( click here ).

We will never forget the significant toll of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The lessons we learned from the Tōhoku-oki event led to many new ideas and products to help local officials with their tsunami preparedness, mitigation, and recovery planning efforts. 

The west coast of the U.S. will experience damaging tsunamis in the future and the Tōhoku-oki natural disaster provided valuable lessons that are being used to help us be more resilient to the next event.

Click the "Lessons Learned" slides below to view the Tōhoku inspired tsunami products from the California Tsunami Program.

The most severe impact in the state occurred at Crescent City Harbor. Total damage to boats and infrastructure was approximately $28 million. Dredging and repairs to the harbor lasted well over a year.

The California Tsunami Program is currently updating Tsunami Hazard Maps statewide based on lessons learned from Tōhoku.

The California Tsunami Program advises residents to make a plan and be prepared for the next geologic hazard. How well you survive, depends on how well you prepare.

Find out using the interactive Tsunami Hazard Map below!

To learn more about the Tsunami Hazard Maps, visit the  California Tsunami Preparedness Guide  in the link below or visit the State Tsunami website at  tsunami.ca.gov .

Explore the impacts from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan with an in-depth and unique perspective from California tsunami scientists ( click here ).

Discover how the 2011 tsunami impacted California and set the course for improvements to tsunami resiliency ( click here ).

The California Tsunami Program, led by the  California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)  and the  California Geological Survey (CGS) Tsunami Unit , works with other federal, state, and local partners to mitigate hazards from tsunamis and other coastal impacts. 

CGS is the Scientific Representative for California on the  National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program  Coordinating Committee, a state and federal cooperative responsible for developing policies and standards for tsunami mitigation efforts in the United States and its territories.