Ten years ago, on March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan triggered a tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, destroying systems and triggering meltdowns. More than 22,000 people and people were reported missing after the Great East Japan Earthquake, according to the Japan Newsroom’s series of articles on the anniversary.
In the days following the earthquake, area Church leaders worked to track down and ensure the safety of missionaries and members and worked to provide both emergency and long-term assistance, the Church News reported at the time. One of the ways members helped was collecting and donating appropriate clothes for people attending funerals and mourning loved ones, the Japan Newsroom articles noted.
In the Tohoku region, humanitarian assistance to local businesses included supporting the forestry and fishing industries. From March 11, 2011, to February 2012, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent 185,324 hours with a total of more than 24,800 Helping Hands volunteers providing emergency and reconstruction assistance, the Japan Newsroom reported.
For more on the anniversary, see the series of articles on the Japan Newsroom, including part 1 and part 2.
