The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a massive tsunami that struck the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The waves overwhelmed the plant's sea wall, knocked out backup power, and disabled the cooling systems for three of its six reactors. Over the following days, three reactors experienced full meltdowns, and hydrogen explosions blew apart their outer containment buildings. It was the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Over 154,000 residents were evacuated from the surrounding area; many never returned. While no deaths were directly attributed to radiation exposure, the disaster's psychological and economic toll was immense. Fukushima fundamentally altered the global energy debate: Germany accelerated its nuclear phase-out, Japan shut down all 54 of its reactors (some later restarted), and the nuclear renaissance of the 2000s stalled worldwide.