Editing Iwate Prefecture (section)

== Natural disasters ==
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2012}}

On 13 July 869, a [[869 Jogan Sanriku earthquake|magnitude 8.6 earthquake and tsunami]] struck the coast of Iwate.

On 14 November 1230, volcanic activity was reported.

On 2 December 1611, a [[1611 Keicho Sanriku earthquake|magnitude 8.1 earthquake]] and tsunami were reported to have killed over 3,000 horses and people.

In 1662 Morioka and its suburbs were hit by a large flood leaving 1,000 dead.

Volcanic activity was reported on Mt. Iwate on 23 March 1686 and 14 April 1687.

In 1700, a tsunami from the [[1700 Cascadia earthquake]] struck Iwate Prefecture. No records from North America exist, but the event was reconstructed using Japanese records.

On 13 May 1717, The Hanamaki area was struck with a magnitude 7.6 earthquake opening cracks in the ground everywhere. There was also widespread destruction of houses and shops.

In Nanbu-han alone, 49,594 people starved to death in the famine of 1755.

Severe famines continue from 1783 to 1787 and again from 1832 to 1838.

Cholera outbreaks occurred in August 1879, in Miyako and Kuji.

In July 1882, a cholera outbreak in Kamaishi left 302 dead and warnings about drinking water were posted throughout the prefecture.

In April 1884, there was another outbreak of cholera in Kamaishi.

In September 1886, cholera outbreaks throughout Iwate left 312 dead.

On 15 June 1896, at 7:32 am, a [[1896 Sanriku earthquake|magnitude 8.5 earthquake]] struck offshore. The ensuing tsunami sent waves onto the coast of Iwate at Yoshihama, in what is now Sanriku town, reaching {{convert|24|m}} in height. 18,158 people died in Iwate alone while some 10,000 homes were destroyed. Fishermen fishing the ocean about {{convert|20|mi}} offshore felt nothing, then returning home the next morning found the shore littered with their homes and the bodies of their loved ones.

In September 1899, dysentery spread throughout the prefecture killing 2,070 people.

There was a widespread crop failure due to violent storms in September 1902. Only 32,900 tons of rice were produced in Iwate, just 30% of the previous year's harvest.

In 1905, there was again a massive crop failure due to heavy rain and cold leading to famine in 1906. People were reduced to eating straw, acorns and roots.

In 1919, a small eruption occurred at Nishi-Iwate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.data.jma.go.jp/svd/vois/data/tokyo/STOCK/souran_eng/volcanoes/027_iwatesan.pdf|title=27. Iwatesan|publisher=Japan Meteorological Agency}}</ref>

On 3 March 1933, a [[1933 Sanriku earthquake|magnitude 8.1 earthquake]] struck offshore killing 3,008 people and destroying 7,479 homes. This is the fifth worst earthquake in Japan since 1923.

Small explosions shook Mt. Iwate throughout 1934 and 1935.

In August 1957, there was volcanic activity on Mt. Kurikoma.

There was volcanic activity on [[Mount Akita-Komagatake|Mt. Akita-Komagatake]] from September to December 1970 with lava flows visible from Morioka.

In 2003, earthquakes struck on 26 May (M7.0 off the coast of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture), 25 July (three jolts of M5.5, 6.2 and 5.3 in southern Iwate) and 26 September (M8.3 in Hokkaido but strongly felt in Iwate).

At 8:43 am on 14 June 2008, Iwate was struck by a [[2008 Iwate–Miyagi Nairiku earthquake|7.2 magnitude earthquake]]. The epicenter was about {{convert|8|km}} underground in Ichinoseki City. Thirteen deaths were reported and massive landshifts occurred in Northern Miyagi and Southern Iwate.

On Friday, 11 March 2011, a [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|magnitude 9.0 earthquake]] hit this area, triggering a large tsunami and extensive damage.  The highest run up of water was measured at over {{convert|38|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/82888.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406052945/http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/04/82888.html |title=38-meter-high tsunami triggered by March 11 quake: survey |publisher=Kyodo News |archive-date=6 April 2011 |access-date=7 June 2013}}</ref>  The disaster destroyed 9,672 of the prefecture's fishing vessels, damaged 108 of 111 ports, wiped out nearly all of the prefecture's fish processing centers, and caused ¥371.5 billion in damage to the prefecture's fishing industry.<ref>{{cite news |author=Fukada, Takahiro |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110921f1.html |title=Iwate fisheries continue struggle to recover |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |date=21 September 2011 |page=3}}</ref>

On 26 February 2025, [[Ōfunato wildfire|a wildfire]] began to the southeast of Ōfunato, becoming Japan's largest fire in over 50 years. The fire grew to cover 2,900 ha (7,200 acres), damaged at least 78 buildings, and forced thousands to evacuate. It was declared contained on 9 March.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-09 |title=Massive Iwate wildfire, the nation's largest in half a century, is contained |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/09/japan/iwate-wildfire-contained/ |archive-date=10 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250310162846/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/09/japan/iwate-wildfire-contained/ |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=The Japan Times |language=en}}</ref>