Journal of the Japan Society of Erosion Control Engineering, Vol.60,No.6,2008

Information sharing concerning warning of, and evacuation plans from, sediment]related disasters

Miki CHIBA, Yuji KATAYAMA, Youichi MIKI and Kazuyuki TAKANASHI

Abstract

On July 19, 2006, several sediment]related disasters (debris flows and landslides) occurred in Okaya and Suwa, in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. In Okaya, no evavuation took place before the disaster, and two debris flows killed eight people. Nearby Suwa was evacuated voluntarily, before the debris flow struck. In Okaya, a debris flow struck a retirement home. The first floor residents were evacuated to the second floor. Neither the Okaya City Government nor the residents had thought beforehand that a debris flow disaster could occur and, therefore, had not prepared for it.
The law related to promoting measures for sediment]related disaster prevention requires cities in areas specified by prefectures to develop a warning and evacuation system for sediment]related disasters. In Okaya, no sediment]related disaster warning areas had been designated and the city was not prepared. By contrast, Suwa was prepared and avoided the loss of lives. This paper points to the importance of information sharing, between city officials and residents, concerning warning of, and evacuation plans for, sediment]related disasters based on what we have learned from the disasters that occured in Okaya and Suwa; it also introduces the utility of the Sabo Data Management Center (Sabo D]MaC) and other systems as a means of information sharing.


Key wordsFsediment]related disaster, warning and evacuation, Sabo D]MaC

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