February 26, 2010
Japanese officials encouraged people to hurry off beaches in Japan's Ryukyu Islands early Saturday morning followed a major earthquake off the coast.
The 7.0 magnitude quake, located about 53 miles from Okinawa, has the potential to send a three-foot tsunami to the coast, according to Sky News. Nonetheless, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was "no destructive threat" from tsunamis.
CNN reports that about 20,000 U.S. troops are stations on eight bases in Okinawa.
The earthquake-prone country faces about 20 percent of the world's most powerful quakes, due to its location near two tectonic plates. The country has heavily invested in earthquake-resistant building materials to withstand period shakes.
