update:February 28, 2010

In Case of Earthquake or Typhoon

What to do in the event of a natural disaster

1. Emergency Shelters (Hinan-jo) & Evacuation Areas (Kouiki Hinan-basho)
2. Earthquake predictions for Kamakura
3. Be prepared for an earthquake

 

1. Emergency Shelters (Hinan-jo) & Evacuation Areas (Kouiki Hinan-basho)

• If your house or apartment is severely damaged or a fire has broken out after an earthquake, evacuate to a nearby temporary gathering location designated by your local community. 
• Later, proceed as a group to the Emergency Shelter that has been designated by Kamakura City for your local area. 
• In Kamakura, the 24 municipal elementary and junior high schools (except Daini Chugakko Junior High) [Chart 2] will serve this purpose. 
• Each Emergency Shelter is equipped with emergency food supplies and equipment.
  These Emergency Shelters may also be used in the event of heavy rains or flooding. 
• If fire is spreading and making it unsafe to remain in your home or in an Emergency Shelter, evacuate to a designated Evacuation Area [Chart 1], a large park or open space, where you will be safe from smoke and excessive heat.

This also means that if wide-spreading fires do not break out after an earthquake, there is no need to move to these Evacuation Areas. 

• There are 18 Evacuation Areas within Kamakura City.

Link

Evacuation Areas (Koiki Hinan-basho) [Chart 1]

Municipal Elementary and Junior High Schools (except Daini Chugakko Junior High School) [Chart 2]

 

2. Earthquake predictions for Kamakura

South Kanto Earthquake (Minami Kanto Jishin)

An enormous earthquake is predicted to hit the whole Kanto region, similar to the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

The Genroku Earthquake of 1703 and the Great Kanto Earthquake were both M (magnitude) 8 earthquakes with their epicenter in the trough running through the ocean near Odawara.

Experts warn of the high likelihood of an earthquake of a similar scale occurring within the next 100 - 200 years.

South Kanto Inland Earthquake (Minami Kanto Chokka-gata Jishin)

The mechanism for an inland earthquake in the South Kanto region is thought to be activity near the surface of the Philippine Sea Plate or seismic movement along active faults in the region.

An eruption could occur anywhere in this region, with the likelihood of several M7 tremors before the big one.

Tremors of seismic intensity 6 or more are predicted for seven prefectures in the South Kanto region.

Western Kanagawa Prefecture Earthquake

One type of inland earthquake predicted to hit the southern part of the Kanto region.

If an M7 quake has its epicenter in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, the devastation will affect all areas within a radius of 30km from the epicenter.

If the quake measures an intensity of 5 in Kamakura, the city will escape being designated a disaster area, and the damage to houses and buildings will not be too serious.

If this earthquake, however, has its epicenter in the sea, there will be a need to watch out for tsunami.

Tokai Earthquake

The ocean floor off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Tokai region has been erupting at intervals of 90 to 150 years from 1361.

Over 140 years have passed since the Ansei-Tokai Earthquake of 1854, so the next major eruption is predicted to be imminent.

In Kanagawa Prefecture, 8 cities and 11 towns westwards from Chigasaki have been designated areas which must reinforce their earthquake-preparedness measures.

Sources:

"Bosai Hakusho," Disaster Prevention White Paper (National Land Agency 2000 edition,

"Kanagawa-ken Shinsai-higai Sotei Chosa," Kanagawa Prefecture Survey of Earthquake Damage Projections (March, 1999),

"Kanagawa-ken Seibu Jishin-higai Sotei Chosa, Survey of Earthquake Damage Projections for Western Kanagawa Prefecture (March 1993)

Map of predicted epicenters [Chart 3]

 

3. Be prepared for an earthquake

10 rules to remember in an earthquake

(1)First, make sure that you, yourself, are safe.

(2)Stay calm, and turn off gas, oil heaters, etc. (as soon as the initial strong tremors subside).

(3)Open a door to secure an exit.

(4)If a fire has broken out, try to extinguish it.

(5)Do not rush outside.

(6)If you are outside, stay away from narrow streets, high walls, cliffs and river banks.

(7)Watch out for landslides, falling rocks, tsunami and flooding.

(8)Evacuate on foot, with a minimum of personal belongings.

(9)Join forces with other people and help with first aid.

(10)Be sure that the information you receive is correct.

How to make your home disaster-proof.

(1)Prevent furniture from tipping over or falling down

• Have TV in a low position
• Don't place heavy objects on top of drawers or shelves.
• With bookshelves and wardrobes, store heavy books and articles at the bottom and lighter ones higher up.
• Wherever possible, secure furniture to the wall or ceiling with brackets.

(2)Preventing fires

• Check regularly that the emergency switch-off mechanism of your oil or gas heater is working properly.
• Wherever possible, choose curtains made of non-flammable material.
• Make sure that the area around the gas cooker and heating equipment is fire-proof and free of flammable objects. 
• Place fire extinguishers in an easy-to-find location and make sure you know how to use it. 
• Do not have shelves above a gas cooker.

(3)Protecting yourself within your home

• Have slippers or shoes at the ready, in case floors are covered in broken glass.
• Do not have tall items of furniture in rooms occupied by children or the elderly.
• Make sure the staircase is slip-proof and equipped with hand rails.

(4)Reinforcing the outside of your house

• Make sure propane gas cylinders are secured with a strong chain.
• Make sure brick and stone walls are reinforced.
• Secure loose roof tiles and TV antennas.
• Make sure potted plants do not fall off verandas.

Kamakura City has prepared a booklet on disaster prevention, with details of emergency procedures in the event of a serious earthquake.

It shows the whereabouts of the municipal elementary and junior high schools which will serve as emergency shelters.

The booklet is in 4 languages: English, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese.

It is available at these sections within Kamakura City Hall:

Disaster Prevention Section

Cultural Promotion & International Affairs Section

Citizen Section

Phone: (0467) 23 - 3000 (switchboard)