BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2012 – Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide released a new report titled, “Understanding Earthquake Risk in Japan Following the Tohoku-Oki Earthquake of March 11, 2011.” The M9.0 Tohoku earthquake changed the seismic risk landscape of Japan. In response, AIR scientists have conducted a detailed analysis of whether and where the stresses relieved by the Tohoku earthquake have been transferred to neighboring faults. Although damage from this event is most closely associated with the massive tsunami-which in places reached a height of more than 30 meters and demolished…
Read MoreTag: damages from Japan earthquake
Ramifications from Japan disaster hits industries around the world
The people of Japan know that it may take years to get their country back to some stage of normal again. The powerful quake and tsunami that devastated areas of Japan two months ago are having some lingering effects in the United States also. At least one third of businesses in the states have experienced supply problems that have disrupted their normal work flow. A recent market study shows that more than 80 percent of all businesses surveyed had experienced some type of business interruption due to the disaster in…
Read MoreNuclear plant shut down in Alabama causes many to question safety
The outbreak of tornado’s and severe weather Wednesday caused massive damage across the southeastern United States. With a death toll of just over 200, almost three-quarters of those were in Alabama. The storms were so bad that the Browns Ferry nuclear plant had to shut down three reactors due to a power outage. The Browns Ferry nuclear plant in northern Alabama is owned by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It was the first plant the TVA built and at that time (1974) it was the world’s largest nuclear plant. The Browns…
Read MoreJapan Catastrophe 2011: The Wake Up Call
After seeing the devastation from last month’s earthquake and tsunami in Northeast Japan, officials in Tokyo are re- evaluating their current disaster plan. The huge 9.0 quake on March 11th that occurred over 200 miles from Japans capital made them realize they weren’t prepared for the worst-case situation. Japan has been working for over 40 years to make their country safer from devastating earthquakes. Earthquake engineering is a normal part of the construction process in Japan. City leaders were confident they had prepared for worse-case scenarios; until the quake…
Read MoreThe liability name game over Fukushima nuclear disaster
General Electric (GE) is getting bad press for their part in the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan; but they’re not being sued, as of yet. GE designed the containment systems inside the nuclear reactors of the Fukushima power plant. The power plant and its nuclear reactors were damaged almost a month ago when a massive earthquake hit Japan. The quake was immediately followed by a powerful Tsunami; causing additional destruction in the region. There have been reports that the reactors leaked radiation into the air. The latest news tells us…
Read More