Earthquake and tsunami in Japan

I thought something terrible might happen'

Tuesday's quake struck close to the epicenter of the 2011 quake, just 37 kilometers (23 miles) east-southeast of Namie at a depth of 11.4 kilometers (7 miles).

The quake triggered a tsunami warning in Japan's Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures, causing the government to urge thousands to seek higher ground amid warnings waves could be up to 3 meters high (10 feet).

Speaking to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, residents from the Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures said they had immediately feared the worst when they felt the earthquake strike.

"I felt a strong shaking, but it was weaker than the earthquake in 2011," a Fukushima prefecture man told NHK. "I thought something terrible might happen, so I tried to escape to higher ground right away."

Firefighters watch the port to check the water level after a tsunami warning in Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Tuesday, November 22.

In Ibaraki Prefecture one woman said she didn't feel she could drop her guard after the earthquake and was still praying for minimal damage.

However, hours later, the warnings were dropped. Three people were injured, police told CNN, while more than 1,900 homes briefly lost power.