2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami

The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan and the fourth most powerful in the world since modern record-keeping began in 1900. The resulting tsunami waves reached heights of up to 40.5 meters and traveled up to 10 kilometers inland, devastating coastal communities. The disaster also triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, creating the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.