generalspeaking

Japan, In Extremis

• Death Toll A total of 11,734 people confirmed dead by Japan's National Police Agency. 16,375 people missing.
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• Evacuations Over 166,200 people in shelters around the country, following evacuation. The government has set up an evacuation area around the quake-stricken nuclear plant in Fukushima prefecture in the northeast, within a 20-kilometre radius. Over 70,000 people lived in the rural area inside the zone. Most are believed to have left; some have refused. Another 136,000 people live within a zone extending a further 10 kilometres in which residents are recommended to leave, or to remain indoors.
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• Households without electricity A total of 270,415 households in the north remain without electricity, according to Tohuku Electric Power Co.
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• Households without water At least 240,000 households in eight prefectures were without running water as of early Friday, according to the Health Ministry.
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• Number of buildings damaged 45,734 buildings have been completely destroyed, according to the National Police Agency of Japan.
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• Impact on the Japanese economy The government has said it estimated damage from the earthquake and tsunami at $192 billion to $301 billion. The higher estimate would reflect the world's costliest natural disaster. The estimate covers damage to roads, homes, factories and other infrastructure, but excludes lost economic activity from power outages and costs arising from damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, along with the impact of swings in financial markets.
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• Number of countries offering aid According to the Foreign Ministry, 134 countries and 39 international organizations have offered assistance.
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• How much force the Fukushima facility was subjected to in the magnitude-9 earthquake Reactors 2, 3 and 5 sustained forces in excess of what they were designed and built to withstand. Spraying of water continued at reactors 1, 3 and 4 to keep the temperature down.
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• Search for bodies Some 18,000 Japanese troops and 7,000 Americans were being mobilized, along with Japanese police, firefighters and coast guard in the search by air and sea for corpses along Japan's north-east coast that was devastated by the tsunami.

Japan's reconstruction spending will exceed that of the 1995 quake in Kobe, when the government needed extra budgets of more than three trillion yet. Some estimate the already debt-burdened government will have to compile an extra budget topping 10 trillion yen.

Tokyo's Nikkei stock average slumped as much as 20% t a two0-year low as the disaster and nuclear crisis unfolded.

The estimated impact on the economy covers damage to roads, homes, factories and other infrastructure, but excludes lost economic activity from power outages and costs arising from damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

A complex global supply chain linking low-cost chip foundries in China to sophisticated final-assembly operations in Japan relies on just-in-time deliveries to get products to markets in developed companies. The system allows little room for error.

This April 4, 2010 image released by GeoEye shows an area of Natori. The same view taken just one day after the tsunami reveals more devastation left behind.

Labels: Chaos, Economy, Environment, Japan, Technology

posted by Pieface @ Saturday, April 02, 2011