#OTD in 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the city of Tohoku in the Iwate prefecture of Japan, triggering tsunami waves reaching heights up to 133 feet.
In the days following this disaster, the astonishing responsiveness and agility of the Japanese Self Defense Force brought relief supplies and hope to those affected, and with U.S. support Operation Tomodachi, Japanese for friend, was born.
Within hours of the earthquake and resulting tsunami, much of the U.S. 7th Fleet was on the move, repositioning ships and aircraft to assist in the relief efforts. Overall, 24 ships, 140 aircraft and more than 15,000 Sailors and Marines delivered over 280 tons of relief supplies to beleaguered survivors as part of Operation Tomodachi.
In the aftermath, this disaster claimed the lives of nearly 16,000 people, injured more than 6,000 and left almost 2,600 people missing. The World Bank estimated the economic cost could reach up to $235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in world history.
