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Tsunami Warnings in Japan after Massive Earthquake. Aired 6- 6:30a ET

Aired January 01, 2024 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Max Foster in for Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly. And we are following breaking news out of Japan for you on this New Year's Day.

[06:00:48]

Evacuations and tsunami warnings triggered after a massive earthquake. This is video of the tremors rocking a train station in central Japan.

Japanese officials are warning Tsunami waves could be as high as 16 feet. Here you can see people hiding under tables at a bowling alley as the earthquake shook that building.

Japan's weather agency says that powerful aftershocks could continue the next three days with potential building collapses and landslides.

This is video of the aftermath in some buildings that have already been destroyed.

Let's go to Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. And we're only getting a rough picture here, because the communications are really bad, and the power stations had to be closed down because they were under threat.

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, as you said, you know, this was a very powerful earthquake, and already a tsunami warning has been triggered for the entire West Coast of Japan.

We also know that it was a shallow earthquake. And this is significant, because with shallow earthquakes, they could potentially be more destructive and more powerful. And they could trigger massive tsunamis, essentially.

We already know that a major tsunami warning has been issued in the city of Noto in Ishikawa prefecture, very close to the epicenter. This is the first major tsunami warning that's been issued since 2011, when 22,000 people were killed in an earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Max.

FOSTER: And in terms of -- of that area, as we understand it, I was speaking to a seismologist earlier, that the earthquakes tend to be on the Eastern coast. This is on the Western coast.

Does that mean that it's less prepared or more prepared for an event like this?

MONTGOMERY: You know, the Japanese government does try to unify a lot of its preparations for large earthquakes, of course. They try to be quite judicious and equal in terms of how they essentially produce help and assistance.

We already know that the Japanese prime minister's office has set up an office of response disaster countermeasure, essentially trying to find out what survivors are there, how to evacuate people, and get them to higher ground.

We know that we're hearing some reports of people being injured in Ishikawa prefecture. We also know that 32,500 homes have lost power. We also know that bullet train lines have been suspended.

Right now, here are no reports of any nuclear abnormalities, nuclear power plants which are not very close to the epicenter, but they're still within the region, Max.

FOSTER: And that's because they've got fortification for the waves and also -- also prepared for earthquakes, as well. And after past experience, they've very much ramped up those preparations in recent years.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, that's correct. I mean, Japan of course, when it experienced the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, it was a devastating moment for the country.

And really, there were a lot of lessons to be learned there. Of course, there were the issues with the Diichi nuclear power plants on the Eastern coast of Japan, but also just in terms of how buildings, how architecture could be more prepared for large earthquakes, large tsunamis, Max.

And for this Western part of Japan, of course, the city of Noto, this is a seaport town. There are lot of fishermen. There are lots of people who enjoy the sea, who are close to the sea. So of course, there are lots of concerns about how to evacuate people to higher ground, what potential devastation could be caused in these regions, Max.

FOSTER: The buildings are, you know, certainly new buildings in Japan are very much built with this in mind, aren't they? It is a very rich country, and they are prepared for these events.

So the people that couldn't get to higher ground, the hopes are presumably high that they're safe as long as they can get to the -- you know, the top of one of these more modern buildings.

[06:05:00]

MONTGOMERY: Yes, you know, it is hard to confirm just how many people are needing help, are needing -- are needing to be evacuated, Max. Because of course, as you mentioned, lines have been down.

But the Japanese government is trying to get information out to people. It's trying to confirm facts and details about who needs rescuing, about what potential damage is caused.

Because as you mentioned, there are parts of Japan that are well- equipped to handle these earthquakes and tsunamis. But for smaller regional places like Ishikawa prefecture, specifically the area of Noto, we might be seeing potential damage to homes.

You know, not all of these homes are built with concrete or with earthquake-prone material. Some of them are built with wood. And those materials can be more flexible and potentially fall more easily in the middle of an earthquake, Max.

FOSTER: OK. Hanako Montgomery, we'll be back with you as you get more details on this. It's pretty thin on the information on the ground for obvious reasons.

Derek van Dam tracking all of this, as well. And this idea of a 16- foot wave potentially coming in, that's -- that's really, really severe.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Max that was the initial projections. And that's -- what they do is they base that off of available information from previous similar magnitude earthquakes at that depth. They calculate it all together and come out with an initial projection of a tsunami wave.

So far we have only seen up to 1.2 meters or roughly 5 feet. Right? So that's important. And what else is important for people and viewers tuning in around the world as they wake up this morning on this first day of 2024 is that the tsunami threats and the threat of after-shocks has not yet waned.

Remember, that tsunamis is -- they're not just one initial wave. They are a series of waves. And sometimes, the timing between the crest of the waves, that is from wave height to wave height, that can happen between 5 minutes to upwards of an hour or even longer.

So the threat continues for the West Coast of Japan. The threat continues for portions of Russia and into the Korean Peninsula, as well.

This is the latest warning now from the Japan meteorological agency. And we're focusing in on the Ishikawa prefecture, because it's that shading of purple. That is a major tsunami warning. They haven't issued one since the devastating tsunami that occurred in 2011.

But nonetheless, there are warnings and advisories that span the entire Western coastline of Japan, as far North as Hokkaido. Remember, shaking was felt as far East as Tokyo.

So the observed tsunami wave heights that we've seen so far, 1.2 meters, that is in the Ishikawa prefecture. And remember, these projections of how high these waves could become is all based on local topography.

Because a tsunami wave is not equal in height. It's all dependent on the seabed, the plate symmetry (ph) across that shoreline, how the wave plays out.

But bottom line is that the tectonic plates have shifted near the West Coast of Japan. And that caused a displacement in the ocean's water. And that has allowed for the tsunami wave to occur. And of course, the ongoing threat being that this is a series of waves that could impact the region and in fact, we could see some tsunami waves still into portions of the Korean Peninsula and Russia, as well -- Max.

FOSTER: And people are often -- this is why communication is so important. And obviously, Japanese media going 24/7 with this. But when you see these waves coming towards you. They don't always look that intimidating, do they?

But they actually grow as they go inland, and they've got this immense power behind them. And people need to know what they are in order to know how to respond.

VAN DAM: Yes, correct. And it's all about the -- the population density around the shoreline, how quickly they can get to higher ground, how safe the buildings are within that particular area.

But this constant surge of water that occurs with a tsunami can be so dangerous, because that water needs to retreat at some stage. Right? So it's going to take whatever it's pushed inland back out into the ocean with it, as well.

When we're talking about just the earthquake alone, a couple of things stand out to me. Not the overall just general magnitude of this -- a 7.5 is significant -- but it is the fact that it is such a shallow earthquake, as well. This is important.

A depth of 6 miles or 10 kilometers. What that does, being so shallow, it doesn't allow for the earth to absorb the shocking -- the tectonic plates shifting. So more or less, the potential exists, at least, for larger destruction and the potential for more casualties, as well.

So this is the Ishikawa prefecture. It kind of sticks out a little bit like a sore thumb there on the West Coast of Japan. But that puts it into a very vulnerable position, because the epicenter was just offshore, and the waves can wrap around that peninsula quite easily.

[06:10:08]

And this, according to the USGS, we're talking over 50 million people feeling some sort of shaking from this magnitude 7.5.

This stands out to me, as well. Nearly 44 million people feeling light shaking. Half a million people feeling very strong to severe shaking, as well.

So the potential here, as we've confirmed, some of the videos on the ground already is that destruction has occurred on the ground where, away from the epicenter and away from the tsunami threat. So there have already been 13 aftershocks of 2.5 or higher. We expect this to continue. Aftershocks with this type of a magnitude original earthquake, 7.5, we typically see at least one 6.5 or higher, at least ten 5.5 or higher. And at least 100 3.5 magnitude earthquakes or higher.

So the aftershocks continue, and they can be very severe. Usually not as severe as the initial earthquake unless it was a foreshock for that earthquake. But that will -- time will tell for that.

So according to, based on latest observed earthquake parameters, significant damage is likely. The disaster potentially being widespread.

And according to the USGS data -- this is interesting, too -- the estimated impact losses for the country of Japan could be less than 1 percent of the GDP of Japan's economy. So these are initial projections, as well, based on previous earthquakes of similar magnitude, Max.

FOSTER: Big economy, though, isn't it? Derek, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.

Stay with CNN THIS MORNING as we continue to cover the breaking news out of Japan, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake shaking the country on New Year's Day. Our crews are standing by live in Tokyo, and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: We are following breaking news out of Japan. A 7.5-magnitude earthquake striking Western Japan, triggering tsunami warnings along those coastal regions. At least three strong aftershocks have been reported, as well.

Let's get some insight on all of this from Dr. Mohammad Hazad -- Heidarzadeh, senior lecturer, the University of Bath, the secretary- general of the Joint Tsunami Commission of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, as well. Thank you so much for joining us.

Because we are very concerned, obviously, about the tsunamis. They are -- there are warnings. We're actually seeing them hit the coast today in Japan of more than a meter. How do you read all of this?

DR. MOHAMMAD HEIDARZADEH, SENIOR LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BATH: This is a very serious -- very serious incident. We have -- we are dealing with the 7.5 earthquake at the shallow death of only 10 kilometers.

And this is a type of earthquake that is making a sizable tsunami, as you see the waves are coming to the coast. And so this is -- just reminds of the 1993 earthquake and tsunami -- basically tsunami in the same area. Because we have two, actually, areas in Japan, terrors (ph) of tsunami. We had the Pacific (ph) side, which was -- you know, we had the one in 2011.

And we also have the East side. We have the Sea of Japan. And this is happening in the Sea of Japan, a very close basin. And any tsunami in this basin can create long oscillations, long waves, big waves. And just reminds of the 1993 event, that the magnitude of the earthquake was 7.7, and that earthquake and tsunami killed more than 200 people.

FOSTER: So you would compare it to the 1990s event, as opposed to the one about ten years ago which a lot of people are talking about today.

HEIDARZADEH: The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed more than 20,000 people. That was at the Pacific side.

But this is actually a very different setup. We are now in the East [SIC] side -- West side of Japan, in the Sea of Japan. And that's a very different setting and different situation.

And sometimes any tsunami on this side of Japan can be more dangerous, because it's a very closed basin. And any tsunami can lead to long oscillations, like two days of oscillations and floodings.

And as I said, we had a similar size incident around the same area in 1993. They refer to the Okushiri tsunami. And that even actually was one of the drivers of the Japan goal of working tsunami warning system for Japan.

FOSTER: And we've had tsunami warnings throughout the morning. And then those tsunamis did strike.

We've still got a major tsunami warning, which is focused on the Noto area. And they're suggesting waves around 5 meters. I think that's about 16 feet. That is particularly severe, isn't it, on any level. But particularly with the landscape that you just described.

HEIDARZADEH: Yes, definitely, Max, this is a very -- very different landscape, and we are actually expecting a tsunami with the height of 5 to 6 meters.

Because as I'm watching on real time instrumentations coming from Japan, the height of the tsunami and offshore gauges is around 1 meter, and 1 meter offshore is very serious tsunami, because eventually, the final run-up and the final height of the tsunami is expected to be 5, 6 meters.

And that's why the Japan government and my Japanese colleagues are actually warning for 5 to 6 meters. And this is obviously, as you said, Max, this is more serious because this is not an open ocean area. This is a closed basin. It's closed sea as you see on the maps. Sea of Japan.

And any tsunami in this landscape can be more dangerous, as you see on your screen now. You see the Japan Sean, and you see that's almost closed. It's a semi-enclosed basin.

And any tsunami can be more -- more dangerous, because the tsunami can lead to long flooding. And that would be lasting for 24 hours, sometimes 48 hours.

[06:20:06]

And I think that's the reason that the Japan government is treating this incident very seriously. And we have some warnings coming from Japan, because they know that this is -- also keep in mind that we have 8 to 9 nuclear power plants at that side of Japan. Because traditionally for Japanese government, the Pacific side is

more dangerous. So they tried to move -- as much as possible try to move the nuclear plants to the West side, to the side of the Japan Sea. And so that is not very safe, as we see today.

FOSTER: Yes. And also as I understand it, they're actually on the coastline, aren't they?

I spoke to a seismologist, and he's visited these sites. He said he's quite confident that they've got the wave walls, and they've got the underpinning to handle the earthquake.

Are you concerned that they're not really considering the nature of the sea there and the size of the waves coming in and you are a bit more concerned about the energy infrastructure there that they aren't?

HEIDARZADEH: Max, the thing we learned from the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, I visited the area, I was in Japan at that time myself. And I was back many times.

And the thing we learned from that incident is that the seawalls are not going to be making the coast very safe. The seawalls are maybe useful for storms. Sometimes, you know, they are not very useful. And they can be easily overtopped and overturned by tsunamis. Because tsunami waves are more energetic storms than high waves.

So I would say I'm sure the Japanese government, they know that, that they have to have other plans, for example, especially for the nuclear program. They have to have plans for turning off the plant and other measures to ensure that the nuclear plants are exactly in the same place that we see on the screen there. The center, we have one nuclear plant there.

And the news I have from Japan, is that nuclear plant was off this morning. And fortunately, it was off.

FOSTER: OK. Doctor, thank you very much indeed for joining us with your analysis and highlighting the fact that this is a very different sea from the other side where we normally get these earthquakes. And therefore more unpredictable effect.

Breaking news this morning, that powerful earthquake hitting Western Japan. Tsunami warnings, evacuations and aftershocks in its wake. Our coverage continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: We're following breaking news out of Japan on this New Year's Day.

A powerful earthquake triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations. This video of a train station just as the quake struck. Japanese officials are warning that tsunami waves could be as high as 16 feet. Aftershocks could last for days as well. Let's go to Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. We were speaking to that expert a bit earlier on and saying that, you

know, there's been a lot of experience with these earthquakes on the East coast. This is different because it's on the West Coast. And it's an enclosed sea. So we could see a much more unpredictable effect of these tsunamis.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, Max. You know, just looking back on that huge earthquake and tsunami that we saw in 2011, when 22,000 people died, that happened on the East coast of Japan; and that was very devastating for the country.

And of course, since then, the Japanese government has really tried to amp up its disaster warnings, its buildings, essentially, to make sure that they withstand earthquakes and tsunamis.

But for this earthquake that happened on the West Coast of Japan, as you mentioned, Max, you know, there are lots of concerns about incoming tsunami waves. Already, we have seen the Japanese government issue a major tsunami warning for the city of Noto in Ishikawa prefecture, very close to the epicenter.

And this is the first time that the -- that Japan has issued this major tsunami warning since that 2011 earthquake and tsunami. So again, just lots of concerns about what could happen with the tsunami.

CNN has confirmed that we're already seeing 1.2 meters of waves. During the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, we saw waves of up to 30 feet. So again, we're just waiting to hear what damage has been caused because of this very powerful, powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunamis -- Max.

FOSTER: And we haven't been able to get a hold of people, have we, because you know, there are communication issues. But also, people were basically told they have a few minutes until a tsunami might arrive. And they should head up to higher ground without going back to pick up their belongings.

So a really frightening day for the people on the West Coast.

MONTGOMERY: That's correct. You know, many people in Japan are celebrating New Year's Day. So they're at home watching the TV with their family and their friends.

And suddenly, at 4:10 p.m. local time, there was an emergency announcement. An earthquake is happening. And on the West Coast of Japan, that quake was felt very, very powerfully.

So immediately, people were told to evacuate their homes, leave their belongings in their homes, evacuate to higher ground. That is the first step often when trying to evacuate when there is a potential tsunami, Max.

And again, this is a developing story. We're still waiting to hear just the extent of damage. But NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster, is reporting that six people are reported injured in Suzu City in Ishikawa prefecture. We also know that about 33,000 homes in Ishikawa prefecture, which is

again close to the epicenter, have lost power. We're also hearing reports of damaged houses from fallen power lines.

And also, we know that bullet train lines have been suspended. Reportedly, there have no -- there have been no damages to the nuclear power stations that are nearby the epicenter. But again, this is a developing story. We're hearing updates from the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and his team of emergency responders.

FOSTER: And yes, the prime minister came out with that appearance which was quite telling. Because it was quite short, brief. He was very serious.

[06:30:00]