Questions for the Regional Disaster Prevention Promotion Division about concerns during disasters
What happens if you can’t take your emergency backpack with you?
I imagine many people evacuate during a disaster without being able to take their emergency backpack. If you evacuate empty-handed, can you receive assistance at the evacuation site?
Miyake
Designated emergency evacuation sites have disaster-preparedness supply warehouses.
These warehouses are stocked with emergency food such as alpha rice, drinking water, blankets, mats, towels, and other supplies for 50 people for two days, which you can receive.
However, depending on the circumstances during a disaster, it is entirely possible that more than 50 people may gather at an evacuation shelter. This could lead to a shortage of supplies, so it is reassuring to have at least your own supplies prepared in advance.
Considering that supplies are limited, having an emergency backpack really does make a difference to how secure you feel at the evacuation site.
Miyake
That’s right. It may be helpful to think of the supplies in the warehouses as being for people who had no choice but to evacuate with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
By the way, when evacuating, is it better to go by car or on foot?
Miyake
We don’t particularly recommend one mode of transportation over another; how you evacuate will depend on the type of disaster and your family’s circumstances. For example, in Mabi during the July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster, many people came to evacuation shelters by car with their families.
If you evacuate by car during an earthquake, road damage, liquefaction, traffic jams, and other conditions may force you to leave your car along the way. We recommend that people who are able to do so evacuate on foot.
Also, taking out insurance to protect your assets is something you may wish to consider as part of your disaster preparedness.
When should you evacuate when a disaster occurs?
Will I know right away if an evacuation order has been issued?
Shirakami
Evacuation information is sent to smartphones as emergency alerts. You can also check evacuation information through emergency alert FM radio, NHK data broadcasting (the d button), and the Kurashiki Disaster Prevention Portal, so please be sure to check these during a disaster.
Also, operation of the Kurashiki Emergency Alert App will begin in October 2025. Install the app on your smartphone and register your postal code, and emergency broadcasts will play from your smartphone even when the app is not open.
Miyake
It is also important to know what disaster risks exist where you are.
For example, is your home in an area at risk of flooding, and how deep would the water be if it flooded? It’s a good idea to check these things in advance using a hazard map.
Please tell us about when to evacuate during a disaster.
Shirakami
As I mentioned earlier, it is important to understand the hazards in your location accurately. And evacuation doesn’t only mean going to an elementary or junior high school or a Community Center. Going to a safe relative’s or acquaintance’s home is also evacuation, as is staying indoors and ensuring your safety after checking the hazard map.
Kurashiki City issues evacuation information at each of Alert Levels 3, 4, and 5.
Level 3, “Evacuation of the Elderly and Others,” is issued when it is still possible to evacuate safely. Elderly people, people with disabilities, and others who need more time to evacuate should begin evacuating at this point.
Level 4 is an “Evacuation Order.” People in the affected areas where damage is expected should evacuate.
When Level 5, “Emergency Safety Measures,” is issued, a disaster has already occurred and danger is imminent. If “Emergency Safety Measures” are issued, take action where you are to protect yourself. Evacuating may actually be more dangerous.
Even though I understand this in theory, I feel like it would be difficult to make a decision when it’s actually time to evacuate.
Miyake
That’s true. If people around you aren’t evacuating, you may think, “It’s still safe,” and find it difficult to decide to leave.
However, I sincerely hope that during a disaster, you will not be swayed by normalcy bias, and will follow evacuation orders and take action to protect your life.
Hazard maps are updated every few years, so check the latest version on the Kurashiki City website. Also, even if you know where nearby evacuation sites are, some may not open depending on the type of disaster, so please also check the evacuation sites for each type of disaster.
What to prepare besides an emergency backpack
People who have difficulty evacuating, such as older adults, must feel especially anxious during a disaster. Is there anything they can do to prepare?
Shirakami
It would be ideal if people could actively help one another through an organization such as a neighborhood association, but I think there are also things people can do to help each other individually.
For example, if an older man or woman lives nearby, check in with them when you evacuate. Or reach out to someone from overseas who may not be comfortable speaking Japanese. Simply looking out for people within reach is enough.
Taking a little interest in the people around you in your daily life can lead to mutual support during a disaster.
Besides preparing an emergency backpack, are there any other measures people should take?
Miyake
I recommend creating an Individual Evacuation Plan. I hope many people will create one, regardless of age or gender—not just those who need support when evacuating.
Disasters can happen at any time. For example, if family members are affected at their respective workplaces or schools, the time when they cannot contact or meet one another can be extremely worrying.
You can reduce anxiety during a disaster by deciding in advance how to contact one another and where to meet, so please discuss this with your family.
From the Writer
As I put together my first emergency backpack, I ended up packing too many things because I was anxious. But I realized how important it is to prepare with “ease of evacuation” as the top priority.
After returning home, I reviewed my emergency backpack and weighed it again. It went from about 11 kg to about 8 kg, which was a relief.
Also, having several days’ worth of supplies at home is useful if, for some reason, you cannot go out due to illness or other circumstances, which gives me peace of mind.
There are also commercially available emergency backpacks, so it may be a good idea to use one as a base and customize it for yourself.
Let’s prepare for disasters in our daily lives so that we can feel even a little more secure when one occurs.
First-Time Emergency Backpack Preparation Information
| Name | First-Time Emergency Backpack Preparation |
|---|---|
| Website | Kurashiki City website, “Disaster Prevention and Emergency Information” |
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