The 5th biggest earthquake recorded since 1900 hit the east coast of Japan yesterday. Japan is well prepared for earthquakes and it seems the worst damage was caused by the 10 meter tsunami which swept inland and wiped out part of the city of Sendai (where Nikon cameras are made).
In terms of fatalities, 1,000 plus in this earthquake is nowhere near the top. The dead toll of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake was pegged at 250,000. The worst in recorded history was also in China, 嘉靖大地震 in 1556, when 800,000 people perished in Shaanxi province. The magnitudes of yesterday's quake was 8.9, and the much deadlier ones in China were about an order lower, so it seems human cost can be greatly reduced by preparation for natural disasters.
Earthquakes are very frightening and they cause incalculable losses but we can take it. I don't really see the humankind getting wiped out by earthquakes at this rate, Japan will recover, Haiti will recover, it will be a small deal in human history.
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