Earthquakes are terrifying and can strike suddenly. If a huge earthquake hits, you will suffer a lot of damage. Earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 7 were observed during the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake in 2004, the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016, and the Hokkaido Earthquake in 2018. Taking into account the recent Noto Earthquake, this means that there will be two to three major earthquakes every 10 years. In addition, during the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, the magnitude of the earthquake was determined to be 7 for the first time in a field survey. The standard for a seismic intensity of 7 is that “most furniture that is not secured will move or fall, and may even fly away.” There is no such thing as zero risk, so we must take measures to prepare for risks.
A new standard for evacuation centers that is currently attracting attention is “TKB.” TKB will become a new international standard for shelter living. T indicates comfortable and sufficient toilets. K indicates the kitchen that hot meals are served. B will be the bed. When living in an evacuation center, it is necessary to provide “a comfortable and sufficient number of toilets,” “hot meals,” and “cots.” A comfortable toilet refers to a box-shaped temporary toilet equipped with a Western-style toilet bowl or a simple flush function. Every time a disaster occurs, toilets become a problem in all evacuation centers because they are dirty and there are not enough of them. When living in an evacuation center, toilets become the biggest problem, and Japanese-style toilets place a heavy burden on elderly people. In recent years, consideration has been given not only to the elderly but also to women. There is also an international standard that requires three times as many women’s restrooms as men’s restrooms. An increasing number of local governments are making preparations based on this standard.
Lastly, I thought of a mechanism to help people remember disasters. If a disaster occurs, each household will stock up on water and emergency food. However, there are an increasing number of cases of emergency food items being wasted after their expiration dates have passed. An example of this is my friend’s emergency rations. An acquaintance’s emergency food was something you could eat by putting a bag in hot water. However, the expiration date had passed and it became a regular food for small birds. They said it was fun because the birds were happy to eat it. But he seems to regret not taking full advantage of it. If neighbors hold regular gatherings to eat emergency food, it can serve as a mock disaster drill. If you do this kind of training a few times a year, you may be better prepared for emergencies.
