Functionality Mistakes Throughout History That Were Way Too Expensive to Fix

In 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster struck Okuma, Japan, caused by a 46-foot tsunami following the Tohoku earthquake. The Tokyo Electric Power Company faced an estimated $187 billion in damages as reactors flooded, leading to a catastrophic failure.

The cooling failure led to three nuclear meltdowns, triple hydrogen explosions, and continuous radiative contamination over three days. The aftermath included one radiation-induced cancer death, sixteen injuries from explosions, and two severe radiation burns, culminating in the plant’s permanent closure.