RATTLING: Struck by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, the island of Hokkaido is working on its recovery.
By Tanner Rowland, Staff Writer
On September sixth, the Hokkaido Island of Japan was hit by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, killing 44 people and leaving over 600 others injured. The powerful earthquake left the people in cities such as Sapporo with rough living conditions, causing many families to become homeless, and leaving others without electricity. People across the globe are taking on the responsibility of helping the civilians of Sapporo return to their old life. They are working with the Japanese government, donating, and much more. However, with the large amount of work that needs to be done, the recovery will require an immense amount of effort.
The high magnitude of the earthquake affected the entire island of Hokkaido in numerous ways. According to Global News, the earthquake ¨knocked out power and train service across Hokkaido, home to 5.4 million people.¨ Due to the condition of the island, the Japanese government is quickly finding ways to restore the island of Hokkaido. Since the disaster, approximately 2,600 people sought protection in temporary shelters, a decline from its original number of 16,000. This swift decline of civilians in temporary shelters occurred because of the support the Japanese government is receiving from the people, making it a very smooth recovery. Although the recovery is rapidly underway, it will take a lot of helpful hands in order to return the island to normal.
The city of Sapporo bore the brunt of the earthquake‘s destruction. Within the city, ¨the earth liquified and sank as much as a meter, tilting houses, cracking roads and unleashing a mudflow that solidified and trapped vehicles in parking lots,¨ Global News reported. These disasters caused people to try and build a new life for themselves and their families. The tilting of houses and cracking of roads led CNN to report that this tragedy was ¨the strongest such storm to hit the Japanese mainland in 25 years.¨ The city of Sapporo is working hard to return to normal after the record breaking quake. It will take a lot of effort in order for Sapporo to go back to its past condition.
The Japanese community took initiative to help the people on Hokkaido return to their normal life.¨As many as 40,000 people, including 22,000 troops from the country’s Self Defense Forces, have been involved in the rescue efforts,¨ CNN said. Efforts have been made to recover the electricity supply homes lost from the earthquake. However, The Strait Times states that it will take ¨’at least a week for energy to be fully restored.¨ Throughout this tragedy, the Japanese civilians continue to fight through it in order to return to their everyday lives.
Japan has made much progress since the quake hit, and many aspects of the citizens’ lives are beginning to improve. As the Japanese government continues to work on restoring the island, it is imperative to respect how hard people are working to restore the lives of others, and how it is something everyone should be aware of and look up to.