While the March 11, 2011 9.0 Magnitude earthquake and deadly tsunami devastated Sendai, it continues to play havoko with thousands of people in the hilly regions who now have to contend with landslides.
Thousands of homes are considered susceptible to landslides with nearly 2100 homes having already suffered damage through cracks in their walls or holes in the ground as the ground continues to shirt all around them.
As such, City officials are looking into the possibility of moving large swathes of people to other areas. The City has noted that there are currently 31 landslide trouble spots with unstable ground with homes building between 40 and 50 years ago sitting about six kilometers from Sendai eki (Sendai train station). It notes that back in the 1950s/60s, land development restrictions were not as strict as they are nowadays, and houses were built using less than modern-techniques.
case in point, soil ws removed from nearby slopes to form the lots the houses are built on. The slopes were reinfoced with mortar, but fear that after so long and many earthquakes that it may have weakened.. and moved forward towards the slope.
In the Midorigaoka community in Taihaku ward, there has been landslide damage 189 of 190 homes, with 69 of them completely destroyed. Walls lean dangerously. Roads have sunk by one meter. Officials have advised 104 of the households to evacuate.
Fears are even greater when the rainy season comes and weaken the soil base even further.
In the Oritate district of Aoba Ward, 55 out of 142 houses in the eastern part of the district have been hit by landslides. Damages include: a two meter deep hole in front of the entrance to one house and floor panels that have come apart in another. Most residents have already evacuated their homes leaving the area a modern-day ghost town.
Home owners whose houses were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami are eligible for up to Y3-million yen (~Cdn $36,500) under the Natural Disaster Victims Relief Law. There are also many relief frameworks for damage to homes by landslides.
However... to receive compensation there are several conditions that must be met. Laws state that the collapsing slopes must be of a certain height—a condition most of the 31 places that received landslide damage in Sendai fail to meet. That means that a lot of people are out of luck.
The City estimates that costs to restore the damaged ground would cost several billion yen (assuming several means three = Cdn $36.6 million, and has asked for prefectural aid to ease restrictions.
According to data from the Land, Infrastructure, Tourism and Transport Ministry, as of May 26, 2011, 3,610 housing lots in nine quake-hit prefectures have been judged to be 'dangerous' or 'caution- needed'. Miyagiken (Miyagi Prefecture) takes up 65 per cent of this number with 2,356 lots.
Files compiled by Andrew Joseph
Thousands of homes are considered susceptible to landslides with nearly 2100 homes having already suffered damage through cracks in their walls or holes in the ground as the ground continues to shirt all around them.
As such, City officials are looking into the possibility of moving large swathes of people to other areas. The City has noted that there are currently 31 landslide trouble spots with unstable ground with homes building between 40 and 50 years ago sitting about six kilometers from Sendai eki (Sendai train station). It notes that back in the 1950s/60s, land development restrictions were not as strict as they are nowadays, and houses were built using less than modern-techniques.
case in point, soil ws removed from nearby slopes to form the lots the houses are built on. The slopes were reinfoced with mortar, but fear that after so long and many earthquakes that it may have weakened.. and moved forward towards the slope.
In the Midorigaoka community in Taihaku ward, there has been landslide damage 189 of 190 homes, with 69 of them completely destroyed. Walls lean dangerously. Roads have sunk by one meter. Officials have advised 104 of the households to evacuate.
Fears are even greater when the rainy season comes and weaken the soil base even further.
In the Oritate district of Aoba Ward, 55 out of 142 houses in the eastern part of the district have been hit by landslides. Damages include: a two meter deep hole in front of the entrance to one house and floor panels that have come apart in another. Most residents have already evacuated their homes leaving the area a modern-day ghost town.
Home owners whose houses were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami are eligible for up to Y3-million yen (~Cdn $36,500) under the Natural Disaster Victims Relief Law. There are also many relief frameworks for damage to homes by landslides.
However... to receive compensation there are several conditions that must be met. Laws state that the collapsing slopes must be of a certain height—a condition most of the 31 places that received landslide damage in Sendai fail to meet. That means that a lot of people are out of luck.
The City estimates that costs to restore the damaged ground would cost several billion yen (assuming several means three = Cdn $36.6 million, and has asked for prefectural aid to ease restrictions.
According to data from the Land, Infrastructure, Tourism and Transport Ministry, as of May 26, 2011, 3,610 housing lots in nine quake-hit prefectures have been judged to be 'dangerous' or 'caution- needed'. Miyagiken (Miyagi Prefecture) takes up 65 per cent of this number with 2,356 lots.
Files compiled by Andrew Joseph
