Half a day after Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake/tsunami combo, it’s clear that the country can be thankful for its preparedness, especially when it comes to strict building codes and advanced structural engineering.
Twitter is full of praise for Japan’s strong bridges and well-constructed buildings, which may well have saved “millions of lives.”
“Not one building in Tokyo collapsed after the biggest quake for 140 yrs.”
The earthquake measured 8.9 on the Richter scale.
(WATCH the video below and read the full story at MSNBC)
I was feeling pretty depressed because of the footage I saw the news about this, but this story helped me feel a little better. It clearly could have been a lot worse if not for the foresight of the Japanese people.
I’m so glad, Andrew.
My husband reminded me that it was probably the great earthquake of 1923 (magnitude 8.3) that spurred the nation to build to higher specifications. Frank Lloyd Wright had designed the Imperial Hotel (just finished in Tokyo). Reports say that “while many buildings in the area were destroyed, the hotel itself — while shaken — stood completely undamaged.” (Sadly, the hotel was later torn down.)