The Earthquake in Japan: The Aftermath and the Role of Social Media

A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 in the Richter scale hit Japan on March 11th, Friday. The earthquake lasted for a few minutes but had also caused a ferocious tsunami as high as 10 metres (33 feet) which swept away cars, buildings, homes, and caused widespread fires in the eastern coast. This earthquake was the most powerful since records began.

Scores of people were killed and thousands have evacuated their homes especially those who lived near the nuclear power plants, in fear that the cooling systems were damaged. Many people were also stranded in Tokyo since the earthquake started. This catastrophe is so devastating that even though Japan is known to be the most prepared in an earthquake situation, the country is surely not prepared for this one—the severity of the destruction caused by this powerful earthquake is too difficult to comprehend.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan makes this his top priority. He would be visiting the places that are mostly affected by the earthquake riding a helicopter. It was reported that two nuclear power plants in Fukushima located north of Tokyo, were damaged by the earthquake. Tokyo Electric Power Co. had taken steps to release pressure from these plants.

As this devastation in Japan unfolds right before our very eyes, it makes me think now on the many communications crisis plans that are in place and are being enforced (or will be enforced) to deal with the many destructions happening all at the same time.

In a situation like this of epic proportions, I have read that Prime Minister Naoto Kan had ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents living within the 10-kilometre radius of the Daiichi nuclear power plant. Scores of people were being moved and this is a smart thing to do in order to make sure that in the event that a radiation leakage happens, people were already taken out away from harm’s way.

Naoto Sekimura, a professor at the University of Tokyo mentioned that a major radioactive disaster is very unlikely since the damaged coolants at the plants only mean a rise in temperature which also stops the reaction. If ever there would be a radiation leakage, it will be very minimal and won’t go beyond a 3-kilometre radius.

So far, the news that I have been reading give me the impression that the Japanese government is doing its very best to handle this situation. The staff or even advisors to Prime Minister Naoto Kan are certainly doing their homework and trying to anticipate the worst case scenario. Even if the professor interviewed from the University of Tokyo reassures that it is ‘unlikely’ for the radiation to leak beyond the 3-kilometre radius, the Japanese government is certainly not taking any chances of another potential disaster. Removing thousands of residents within the 10-kilometre radius may be a very big and overwhelming undertaking but it’s the best that can be done at this time to ensure that the lives of the Japanese people are not at stake.

The powerful earthquake that shocked the entire country of Japan puts everyone on their feet. I can only imagine now the many crisis communication plans that have taken effect not only on the government level but as well as for the many industries affected by this natural calamity. There were hundreds or even thousands of cars ready to be shipped to other markets but were destroyed by the tsunami making it look like a stack of corroded matchboxes. The person in-charge of the communications for that particular automaker might be doing his work at this time informing overseas customers with regards to this uneventful happening, informing them of delivery cancellations or orders to be put on hold (but it’s also possible that nothing is done at this time since everything was destroyed and communication lines were interrupted). Employees of this car company (and the many other companies affected) will most likely not be able to receive any kind of information from their employer because of the vast destruction caused by the earthquake and the tsunami. Everyone’s priority at this time is to survive.

The Role of Social Media

Once again, people all over the world are embracing the power of social media with regards to the devastation that happened in Japan. Expatriates and travellers in Japan use Twitter and Facebook to contact families and friends, telling them of the latest news. There is even a “Person Finder” web app to link victims with families. More than 7,000 records have been entered since this afternoon and the numbers just keep going. Even before the earthquake stopped, many people instantaneously pulled out their video cameras to take videos and photos, and share the scenes around them with the rest of the world. It was reported that there are more than 9,000 earthquake-related videos and 7,000 earthquake-related photos that have been uploaded to YouTube since the start of the earthquake ranging from first-person accounts to videos and photos taken by media representatives. There are also several fundraising efforts using social media to bring relief funds to Japan.

This land of the rising sun faces a long road ahead before it can finally recover. Not just months but it will definitely take years. This tragedy affects the lives of thousands of people—homes destroyed; industries affected; power plants in the brink of causing yet another disaster; and an economy that was shaken which will cause the nation to be indebted. The global community has certainly started to join forces in order to help. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who are affected, and I do hope that the recovery and healing will take place the soonest.

(This is just one of the many videos you can watch. Go to YouTube for more.)