Introduction
More than 10 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and with concerns about the fading of disaster prevention awareness, the importance of tsunami countermeasures is increasing once again. It has now become clear that in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, 51,000 people, accounting for approximately 16% of the population, reside in areas where evacuation would be difficult in the event of a tsunami. This fact will serve as an opportunity for us to re-examine our preparedness for tsunamis.
Reality of Difficult-to-Evacuate Zones
The difficult-to-evacuate zones in Iwaki City are the 5 areas of Hisanohama/Ōhisa, Yotsukura, Taira, Onahama, and Nakoso. These areas are located within the expected inundation zone in the event of a tsunami caused by an earthquake in the Japan Trench or Kuril Trench, and evacuation is considered difficult because there are no evacuation sites such as buildings of 4 stories or higher or high ground in the vicinity.
Of particular note is that urban areas away from the coastline, such as the Onahama district, are also included in the difficult-to-evacuate zones. This is a result of considering the possibility of tsunamis traveling up rivers and causing widespread inundation. It suggests that preparations for tsunamis are necessary even in inland areas, without being bound by the conventional image of “coastal areas = danger.”
Iwaki City’s Countermeasures
Iwaki City has been developing seawalls and disaster prevention green spaces based on the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake. However, the maximum tsunami inundation area estimated by Fukushima Prefecture in 2022 has expanded to twice that of the time of the earthquake. This has made further countermeasures an urgent issue.
Currently, Iwaki City aims to ensure the safety of citizens by increasing agreements with businesses that own buildings that can serve as evacuation sites. In addition, based on the wishes of local residents, the city is also adopting a policy of allowing evacuation by car. Road widening is also being considered to enable prompt evacuation.
What We Can Do
The case of Iwaki City is by no means someone else’s problem. Similar risks may exist in coastal areas and riverfront areas throughout the country.
First, check the tsunami hazard map for your area and identify evacuation sites and evacuation routes. It is also important to cooperate with family members and local residents to participate in evacuation drills and prepare disaster prevention goods.
It is impossible to predict when a tsunami will occur. Daily preparations will lead to protecting lives in the event of a disaster.
Summary
The reality of the difficult-to-evacuate zones in Iwaki City has highlighted new challenges for tsunami countermeasures. However, the city is steadily advancing evacuation measures. We too must learn from Iwaki City’s efforts and implement tsunami countermeasures tailored to the characteristics of our regions. The awareness and actions of each individual will become the power to protect lives from tsunamis.
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