Minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued in Ukedo, with school staff urging students to evacuate immediately to nearby Mount Ohirayama, about 1.5 km from the school.
About 40 minutes after the earthquake struck, all students and staff were safely evacuated. But the school was severely damaged. Ruins of Ukedo Elementary School in Namie town, located in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture (Japan).
In 2021, the remaining part of the Ukedo Elementary School building was opened to the public. Although the facilities were largely intact, debris, peeling floors and ceilings, broken furniture and other items... We, and probably all visitors here, were stunned by the extent of the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami and understood more than ever the importance of disaster prevention and mitigation.
In the town of Namie that day, a magnitude 6 earthquake toppled buildings and shocked residents. This was followed by a massive 15.5m tsunami that engulfed homes and communities along the coast.
However, at Ukedo School, all students and teachers survive thanks to quick and accurate decisions.
Locals say the rescue of all the students and staff at Ukedo School was no miracle. Rather, it was the result of quick, accurate decision-making and teamwork.
The tsunami flooded the second floor of a 10m high school building, causing damage to furniture.
A pre-earthquake Ukedo model is displayed in the classroom. The model has flags symbolizing the people's memories.
"Everyone go to the platform. I will take you there," reads the painting displayed at the school.
Debris, peeling floors and ceilings, debris, fallen furniture and other school items were left almost intact.
Nearby, at the Great Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, visitors learn about the area before, during and after the disaster, gain insight into Fukushima's recovery and the decommissioning of the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and hear testimonies from residents.
Visiting the museum, visitors can get a sense of how Fukushima dealt with a complex and unprecedented disaster and its ongoing consequences, while also conveying lessons for the future on the importance of disaster prevention and mitigation. The museum opened in September 2020 and has about 200 artifacts related to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster on display.
The photos haunt visitors with memories related to the disaster.
Source link
![[Photo] Binh Trieu 1 Bridge has been completed, raised by 1.1m, and will open to traffic at the end of November.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/10/2/a6549e2a3b5848a1ba76a1ded6141fae)
Comment (0)