仙台市若林区的荒浜地区海嘯高達十公尺

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:
東日本大震災で死者数百人が確認された仙台市若林区の荒浜地区で、津波の高さが１０メートルに達していたことが１７日、東北大の今村文彦教授（津波工学）の調査で分かった。平野部としては世界最大級という。宮城県が想定した高さの約３倍の津波は、防潮堤や防潮林を越え、集落を襲った。
　荒浜地区で、住民が逃げ込んだ小学校の校舎の高さ１０メートル部分まで津波の痕跡があった。荒浜地区から名取市まで、ほぼ全域で高さ１０メートルの津波の跡があった。平野部は津波が増幅されにくく、三陸海岸などでは増幅され、平野部の２倍を超えた可能性がある。今村さんによると、平野部の津波は２００４年のインド洋大津波で観測された十数メートルが最大という。
　宮城県は、過去最大級の津波だった宮城県沖地震（連動型）を想定して、この地域は最大２～３メートルと予測。約５メートルの防潮堤と幅５０～数百メートルの松林で備えていたが、今回の津波はその３倍だった。
　名取市の漁港では、津波では壊れないとされる鉄筋コンクリートの建物も破壊された。今村さんは「想定外の非常に強い津波が来た。防災施策に携わってきた自分としては、忸怩（じくじ）たる思いだ」と話した。

(試譯文)
On the 17th, the investigation done by Prof. Fuminhiko Imamura (tsunami engineering) of the Tohoku University found that the tsunami came from the East Japan great earthquake had a height of ten meters when it reached the Arahara district in Sendai City Wakabayashi Ward where a death toll of several hundreds people was confirmed. It was said that this was the world's largest class tsunami seen at plain part. The tsunami was about three times the height that Miyagi Prefecture had prepared for; it went beyond the tide embankment and the sea wind protection forest, and hit the villages.

In the Arahara district, there were signs that the tsunami was up to ten meters in height at some part of the school building of the elementary school where the residents had escaped into. From the Arahara district to Natori City, almost the whole region had marks of a tsunami that was ten meters in height. Tsunami could not be amplified easily at the plain part, but it could be amplified in the Sanriku coast etc. , and there was a possibility that it was amplified more than twice than those seen at the plain part. According to Mr Imamura, it was said that the biggest tsunami generated at the plain part was over ten meters and that was observed at the Indian Ocean in 2004.

At Miyagi prefecture, the assumption was based on the biggest tsunami seen previously due to the Miyagi Prefecture off-shore earthquake (synchronization type); at this region, the expectation was 2 to 3 meters. Although a five-meter tide embankment together with a pine forest with a width ranging from 50 to a few hundreds meters was prepared, this tsunami was three times bigger. The ferro-concrete building assumed to be unbreakable in the tsunami was destroyed in the fishing port in Natori City. Mr. Imamura said ｢An exceptional strong tsunami had came. I had been involved in the disaster prevention measures and I think it is embarrassing.｣

Natural disasters are difficult to predict, a ten-meter tsunami is something beyond expectation.