Events during the initial 5 days after the earthquake1
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 11 March 2011 | 14:46 | The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred |
| 19:03 | A Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation was issued in accordance with the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness | |
| 21:23 | The national government issued an evacuation order for residents within a 2 km radius of 1F and an indoor evacuation order for those within a radius of 2–10 km | |
| 12 March 2011 | 5:44 | An evacuation order was issued for 48722 residents within a 10 km radius. An REMAT was dispatched to the OFC on a Self-Defence Force helicopter and confirmed that the communication system was inoperable |
| 15:36 | Hydrogen explosions occurred at No. 1 reactor. Four workers were injured | |
| 18:25 | An evacuation order was issued for residents within a 20 km radius and emergency evacuation commenced using private vehicles and buses | |
| 13 March 2011 | Coordination of evacuation of hospitalised patients and senior care facility residents within a 20 km radius commenced. Although the majority were transferred out of Fukushima Prefecture, approximately 840 patients and residents were left within the 20 km radius at this point. Within Fukushima City, a Radiation Emergency Medical Coordination Committee was established mainly by REMATs from the NIRS and Hiroshima University as well as Fukushima Medical University and the Social Welfare and Public Health Department of Fukushima Prefectural Government | |
| 14 March 2011 | 0:47 | An emergency evacuation order was issued for hospitalised patients and senior care facility residents within the 20 km radius |
| 11:01 | Hydrogen explosions occurred at No. 3 reactor; 11 workers/Self-Defence Force members were injured | |
| 15 March 2011 | 6:10 | Hydrogen explosions occurred at No. 2 reactor |
| 9:40 | Hydrogen explosions occurred at No. 4 reactor | |
| 11:00 | An indoor evacuation order was issued for residents within a 20–30 km radius | |
| 15:00 | Evacuation of all residents within the 20 km radius was completed. The OFC function was transferred to Fukushima Prefectural Government Office in Fukushima City |
NIRS, National Institute of Radiological Sciences; OFC, Off-Site Centre; REMAT, Radiation Emergency Medical Assistant Teams.