Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Japan, Results In Tsunami Warning

UPDATE 9:31 p.m. EST: The first tsunami waves arrived in Miyako at 8:41 a.m. and in Kamaishi at 8:35 a.m. local time on Wednesday, but only slight raises have been recorded so far, according to the JMA. Waves could reach their maximum height a few hours after the initial wave sightings.

Original story:

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan early Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The earthquake, which was originally considered 7.1-magnitude, triggered a one-meter tsunami warning for the Iwate Prefecture.

The agency also advised some 10,000 households in the coastal areas to evacuate, Voice of America reported. Iwate Prefecture is home to about 1.3 million people and is a mostly rural area. It also houses a nuclear power plant that was undamaged in Tuesday’s earthquake.

Much of the coastline covered in Tuesday’s advisory was the same as what was damaged in 2011 after an earthquake and tsunami that killed 18,000 people and caused a nuclear accident at Fukushima.

Japan is struck by about 20 percent of the world’s most powerful earthquakes every year, due to its position at the conjunction of several tectonic plates, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.