Japan suffers cruel reminder of 9.0 quake and tsunami

Twin earthquakes shook the island nation in a cruel reminder of the 9.0 that devastated the country and spawned a powerful tsunami that killed thousands. Tokyo was shook by a 6.1 quake on Tuesday following a 6.8 in northern Japan. 

TOKYO, JAPAN (Catholic Online) - The good news is that no injuries were reported. However, the 6.8 quake was powerful enough to prompt evacuation orders for some. In fact, a minor tsunami did strike, but the swell was only 8 inches - hardly enough to notice. 

Following that quake by 3 hours, a 6.1 struck east of Tokyo, swaying buildings and suspending train and air service for a short while. Quick inspections of regional nuclear facilities revealed no dangers or abnormalities. 

Both quakes have been labeled as aftershocks of last year's 9.0. Meanwhile, residents were warned to be careful around structures that may have been weakened by last year's quake and remain standing today. Inspections of these buildings were also underway on Wednesday. 

The twin quakes are a powerful reminder of last year's disaster that claimed the lives of about 19,000 people, mostly a result of the tsunami that followed the quake. The quake and subsequent disaster were so large that even the most well prepared defenses succumbed. 

One village with a specially designed 30 foot tsunami wall was wiped out when a section of  the wall failed and the tsunami topped it in other places. And despite early warnings, the tsunami was so great that it washed further inland than many expected, claiming thousands of additional lives. 

The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is another sign of how systems failed in the face of such a great disaster.

Ultimately, the quakes serve as a powerful reminder for the people of Japan and the rest of the world - as clever and industrious as we may be, nature remains more powerful that we can ever imagine.

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