While it is well known that the 2011 TÅhoku earthquake and Tsunami events were devastating for Japan, not everyone gets the chance to visit some of the sites that were hit and experience the aftermath for themselves. Okawa Elementary is a school that is located on the bank of the Kitakami River, about 2 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean- in a small village called Kayama. On Friday March 11th, 2011, it had been another school day for the students until disaster came.
Immediate view when approaching the school
The administration and staff at Okawa were not expecting the tsunami to reach the building. Sadly, the storm made its way to the school by going up the river from the ocean- overflowing into nearby land. When the Tsunami did come in from the Kitakami River and over the land to the east of the building, the children and teachers were not in a safe position. The school emergency plan had said to evacuate to a nearby park or safe zone, but in reality none of those were available. This led to hesitation, and kept the majority of students in harm’s way. Out of the students and staff that were there when the storm came, only 4 students and 1 teacher survived. They had managed to escape to higher ground and avoid the water on a steep hill that was behind the school’s playground.
The higher ground near the schoolyard
Today, most of the wreckage that was made in March 2011 has been cleaned away, but what remains is the shell of a collapsed school and the memory of innocent lives lost that day to the destructive power of water. In total, there were 74 children that died, in addition to the deaths of 10 teachers. Force from the water is evident in the torn columns of the building and the 2nd level floors being raised up for the water pressure below. Clocks in the school are frozen at the time tragedy came, and water marks stain the walls with an indication of their deadly heights. As for now, this site will continue to stand as a memorial for those that passed away, and as a reminder that emergency plans for disasters should be always kept as a safety priority.
A glimpse into the dangers of too much water
Time has stopped at this spot- but as our days advance, we must never forget what happened at Okawa Elementary on March 11th, 2011.