On mach 11, 2011, an earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, churring up a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country and set off warnings as far away the west coast of the United States and South America. It was recorded as 9.0 on the Richter scale, it was the most powerful earthquake to ever hit a country.
As the nation struggled with a rescue effort, it also faced the worst nuclear emergency, leks of radioactive gas took place in three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, fuel rods at another reactor overheated and caught fire, releasing radioactive material directly into the atmosphere.
