Tsunami Warning Issued as 7.0 magnitude Earthquake hits Japan

A few minutes ago, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan off the coast of Ishinomaki, a city located just 65 miles (104 km) from Fukushima.

According to the latest information from the U.S. Geological Service (USGSA), the earthquake has a depth of 54 kilometers (34 miles).

A tsunami warning was issued earlier Saturday but has now been downgraded to a "tsunami forecast" of slight changes in sea level, a Japanese government website showed. The US Tsunami Warning System says there is no warning, advisory, watch, or threat of tsunami associated with the Japan quake.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1373207819885887490

Japan experienced a deadly quake a decade ago that caused the country's worst nuclear disaster on record. More than 20,000 people died or went missing and a tsunami with 30-foot waves damaged several nuclear reactors in the area.

More than 100,000 people were evacuated and authorities have spent the past 10 years cleaning up the area -- a massive effort that experts say will take decades to complete.

A powerful earthquake that hit Japan last month was an aftershock of the 2011 event, according to the national Meteorological Agency.