Japanese seismologists are urging people — mainly in northern Japan — to remain vigilant for more quakes and tsunami a week after a magnitude-7.5 temblor struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture.
The December 8 quake registered an intensity of upper 6 on the Japanese scale of zero to 7 in Aomori Prefecture’s Hachinohe City.
Tsunami warnings and advisories were issued for various coastal areas in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. A magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck Friday as seismic activities continued.
As of 4 a.m. on Monday, 40 quakes with an intensity of 1 or higher had taken place after last week’s temblor.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an “Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory” for 182 municipalities in the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki and Chiba.
The agency said there were heightened risks of mega quakes occurring along the Japan Trench and the Chishima Trench in the northern Pacific.
The advisory urges people to prepare emergency bags to ensure they can evacuate quickly if necessary.
Because hazardous winter road conditions could delay evacuations, people are also being urged to review evacuation sites and routes, anchor furniture, stock up on food and water, and ensure they have an adequate supply of medications they regularly take.
The agency says the advisory is set to be lifted at the end of Monday, but cautions this does not rule out the possibility of a strong earthquake taking place.
Tohoku University’s Professor Toda Shinji warns that a quake is more likely to occur east of the epicenter area.
He says people should be aware that a massive quake could strike a month or even a year after a strong tremblor, even though the possibility will gradually decrease.
AloJapan.com