Disaster Preparedness Presentation

What kind of disasters?

• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Typhoons
• Missiles
• Bears
• Blizzards

Earthquakes: Scales

• Japan uses both the Moment Magnitude (Mw)/Richter scale and the JMA scale, measured in shindo (震度)
• Shindo uses perception of earthquake effects as a measurement of severity (rather than the amount of energy released, as Mw does)
• does not have an equivalent magnitude measurement since it measures earthquake effects, which can vary by area

Earthquakes: Shindo (震度) 0-4

Shindo 0

Imperceptible

Shindo 1

Felt slightly by some

Shindo 2

Felt by many people

Shindo 3

Felt by most people

Shindo 4

Hanging objects swing. Unstable objects may fall

Shindo (震度 ) 5 (weak (jyaku弱) and strong (kyo強))

Many feel the need to hold onto something. Objects in cupboards/on shelves may fall. Unsecured or unstable furniture may move or fall over.

Many find it difficult to walk without holding onto something. Unsecured furniture may fall over. Unreinforced block walls may collapse.

Shindo (震度) 6 (weak (jyaku弱) and strong (kyo強))

Difficult to remain standing. Many unsecured furniture items will move or fall. Doors may become wedged shut. Wooden houses with low earthquake resistance may lean or collapse

Near impossible to move without crawling. People may be thrown through the air. Most unsecured furniture moves or falls. Wooden houses are more likely to lean or collapse. Large cracks in buildings and landslides possible.

Shindo (震度) 7

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Wooden houses are even more likely to lean or collapse. Concrete buildings with low earthquake resistance may collapse.

If there is an earthquake

• If you are outside, stay in a clear, open space.
• If you are driving, pull over somewhere safe.
• If you are inside:
1. Protect yourself (esp. head), take shelter (e.g. under a table), wait.
2. Check that people in your immediate vicinity are uninjured.
3. Secure an exit.
4. Put out any fires, turn off gas, etc.
5. Have your emergency kit to hand.
6. Check online/TV for information, or evacuate if you are in any danger. Turn off your electricity breaker if you leave. Be extra careful on stairs.
• Beware of aftershocks, tsunamis, landslides, etc. Stay up to date, let people know you are okay, help those around you.

Tsunami

• Tsunami arrive quickly after an earthquake.
• For example, in the event of a large earthquake, estimates for the Akita City area place a 20cm tsunami arriving within 24 minutes and almost 14m within 34 minutes. In some areas, waves about 10m deep could arrive in less than 15 minutes.
• Make sure you know whether your area is particularly at risk for tsunami after earthquakes (e.g. Noshiro, Oga, etc.)
• Tsunami usually occur in groups. Rather than a single large wave, they hit one after another in groups of three or more.
• Depth of possible tsunami varies with the tide
• Although water along the coast sometimes recedes before a large wave, this is not always the case

• Confirm the evacuation status for your area.
• If you need to evacuate:
• Do not make plans to meet others or wait for friends.
• Evacuate on foot.
• Aim for height, not distance.

If there is a tsunami

Typhoons/大雨: warnings/alerts

1. Always – Be aware of changes in the weather and know the evacuation routes for your home and workplace.
2. 注意報 (chuuihou) [Advisory] – Stay up to date on current situation, have an emergency kit packed and ready.
3. 警報 (keihou) [Warning] – Beware of landslides. People in high risk areas may be encouraged to evacuate to safety.
4. 特別警報 (tokubetsukeihou) [High Alert] – Evacuate immediately with only the essentials.

* These alerts are not restricted to typhoon/heavy rain alerts. There are many different types for different conditions, including snow.

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If there is a typhoon

• Confirm the evacuation status for your area.
• Beware of:
• high winds(暴風 bofuu) Secure items, avoid flying debris and windows.
• flooding (洪水 kozui) Get to high ground, follow police/buses.
• landslides (崖崩れ gakekuzure). Mountain roads are dangerous!
• Stay inside, avoid driving if you have to go out.

If there is a missile

• When outdoors:
• Take shelter in a building or underground.
• If there are no buildings, hide under anything that can provide shelter.
• When indoors, move away from the windows or to a room without windows.

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If a missile has landed nearby:

• When outdoors:
• Cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
• Immediately move away from the impact zone.
• Take shelter in a well-sealed building, or move upwind.
• When indoors, turn off ventilation.

Official government missile protocol and preparation for citizens

If there is a bear

• Identify yourself as human
• Stay calm, no sudden movements or loud noises
• Look big and intimidating
• Don't give bears food
• Move away slowly, do not run (they are faster than you)
• Don't climb trees (they climb better than you)
• Stay away (especially if there are cubs)
• Most encounters don't become attacks!

If a bear attacks you

• Don't play dead: that's for brown bears
• If you can, escape somewhere secure, like a car or building
• If you can't, fight! Use anything; attack the face and muzzle

Carry bear spray (熊撃退スプレー、熊よけスプレー)!

(kuma gekitai spray, kuma yoke spray)

• Bear spray is not a repellent you put on your body, spray it at the bear
• Make a cloud between you and the bear
• If it keeps coming, aim for the face!
• Don't stop until it turns away!
• When it leaves, you should too!

Prevention is best

• Travel as a group (bigger is better)

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• Make noise (loud talking, radio)

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• Stay far away, never approach a bear (especially when cubs are involved)

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• Carry your bear spray! Make sure it is immediately accessible in a holster!-> (not in your pack)

If there is a blizzard

• The weather outside is frightful, but inside it's so delightful
• Know evacuation routes in case of power outage
• Keep warm (watch things like kerosene supply, and keep warm clothes/blankets/etc. in your car)
• Keep dry
• Dress in layers
• Stay stocked up on essentials like food/water/etc.

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If driving in a blizzard

• First of all, don't. But if you have to:
• Keep high energy snacks/nuts/etc., as well as water/something warm in a thermos
• Keep your phone charged in case you are stranded, use the engine and heater 10 minutes every hour
• You can crack a window downwind for ventilation (beware carbon monoxide poisoning from blocked exhaust pipes: rare but possible)
• Keep your gas tank filled during winter
• Display a warning triangle (三角表示板 sankaku hyoujiban)
• Use a flare (発煙筒 hatsuen tou, 非常信号灯, hijyou shingou tou)
• It is a requirement by law for flares to come with the car when you get it, and also a requirement by law for you to buy a warning triangle and keep it in your vehicle! (you can be fined thousands of yen)
• A shovel/sack of sand (or non-clumping kitty litter) may be helpful, but don't overexert yourself

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If you are stranded outside

• Stay hydrated
• Cover your mouth, or breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth
• Do small movements and stretches to encourage circulation, but don't overexert yourself
• Make/find some sort of shelter, even out of snow if need be
• Try to keep some kind of insulation between you and the snow you are sitting/laying down on
• Eating snow=not ideal. Melting snow to consume the water=pro move
• Try to SOS for help (flare, mobile phone, etc.)

Disaster Preparation

Disaster Preparation: Emergency Kit

• In your regularly updated emergency kit:
1. Flashlight (candles & matches)
2. First aid kit/medicines
3. Blanket/clothes/raincoat
4. Toilet roll
5. Work gloves/helmet
6. Emergency Japanese/English guide
• Keep extra cash, your hanko, passport, and other documents easily accessible.
• Secure furniture against earthquakes

g. Knife

h. Water/emergency food/dried goods

i. Batteries

j. Battery-operated radio

k. Battery-operated charger

Disaster Preparation: Hazard Maps

Find your area’s hazard map:

• Know what your area is at risk of
• Find out where your evacuation sites are
• Get area-specific advice

Disaster Preparation: Signs and Sirens

• Look for green signs that say:�避難地・避難場所・避難所 (hinan chi/basho/jo)
• Check what type of evacuation site it is (tsunami, etc).
• Check with your CO and other people for the most relevant information evacuation site/workplace's emergency procedures/etc. for where you live and work.

Staying Informed and in Contact

Stay Informed

• TV
• Radio
• Internet� JMA’s Weather Warning/Advisory (English) / Eng/Jap explanation

Akita’s Emergency/Evacuation Notice (Japanese) / English explanation

• Mobile Apps

Japan Shelter Guide Pocket Shelter

NHK World Japan Yurekuru

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Safety Tips Nerv Disaster Prevention

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Akita International Association (AIA)

Homepage: http://www.aiahome.or.jp/en/

or Google “Akita International Association”

Other Links

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Natural Disaster Facebook

(EN/JP for emergency notices, but will only report on large or national scale disasters)

https://facebook.com/mofa.saigai/

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CLAIR Department of Multiculturalism Promotion

(EN/JP, but will only report on large or national scale disasters)

https://www.facebook.com/tabunka.clair/

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Missile Information

http://www.kokuminhogo.go.jp/en/pdf/missiles_flying_0921.pdf

http://www.kokuminhogo.go.jp/en/pdf/QA(English).pdf

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Stay in Contact

• Respond to CLAIR’s automated ALSOK email

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• Contact your CO/BoE FIRST

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• Contact your Block PA

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• Consider registering with your embassy/consulate