Historic Earthquakes
Kanto (Kwanto), Japan
1923 September 01 02:58 UTC
Magnitude 7.9
142,800 deaths.
One of the world's most destructive earthquakes.
Extreme destruction in the Tokyo - Yokohama area from the earthquake and
subsequent firestorms, which burned
about 381,000 of the more than 694,000
houses that were partially or
completely destroyed. Although often
known as the Great Tokyo Earthquake
(or the Great Tokyo Fire), the damage
was apparently most severe at Yokohama.
Damage also occurred on the Boso and
Izu Peninsulas and on O-shima. Nearly
2 m (6 ft) of permanent uplift was
observed on the north shore of Sagami
Bay and horizontal displacements of as
much as 4.5 m (15 ft) were measured on
the Boso Peninsula. A tsunami was
generated in Sagami Bay with wave
heights as high as 12 m (39 ft) on
O-shima and 6 m (20 ft) on the Izu and
Boso Peninsulas. Sandblows were noted
at Hojo which intermittently shot
fountains of water to a height of 3 m
(10 ft).
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