Background and Scope - Tohoku, Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 - page 14

Table 4. Damage to housing and other structures
(Sources: *National Police Agency of Japan 2011** Harder et al., GEER 20 11
Structure Type of Damage Number of Units Affected

*Houses

Totally collapsed 108,557

Partially collapsed 120,186

Burned 263

Inundated 23,720

Partially damaged 449,306

Condemned 32,590

*Roads Damaged 3,559

*Bridges Damaged 77

*Slopes Landslides 197

*Railways Damaged 29

**Levees Failed 25

769

Settled, Slumped, Cracked

Wall, Gate ,other Damage 396

The revised number of the nuclear accidents at Fukushima reached INES level 7 on
April 12th. While officials continued to monitor residual radiation levels both
nationally and internationally, for the most part, the reported high levels of
radioactive isotopes in air and water dropped substantially between March and July
2011. The ongoing efforts to contain the effects of nuclear radiation from Fukushima
Dai-Ichi and Dai-Ni plants remain a matter of both national and international concern
(WHO 2011).

1.3.6EconomicConsequences
The initial economic outlook after the earthquake and tsunami was grim: in addition
to the enormous direct costs of reconstruction in Japan, the tsunami caused damage in
areas around the Pacific and impacts to Japanese industry affected the global
economy. Early damage estimates for Japan ranged from $250 to $309 billion U.S. or
about 4 to 6% of Japan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Nanto, WSJ 2011).
Additional significant damage to coastal installations occurred around the Pacific,
though much smaller than the losses in Japan. Hawaii reported losses in the tens of
millions of dollars (FEMA 2011); estimates in California ranged between $40 and
$50 million and over $10 million in damages in Oregon (TOT 2011). In Chile,
damage to structures, fishing, and aquaculture also amounted to several million
dollars (Alvarado 2011). Some global industries, especially those requiring a steady
supply of Japanese parts, had to suspend production until parts became available.
Forecasts for Japanese recovery, however, have become increasingly optimistic.

On May 30, the Japanese government released a briefing on economic impact. The
brief predicted that the Great East Japan earthquake would have less effect on its