The Big One. What'll it be Like and What to do!

Having been through March 11, 2011 M9.1 earthquake and missing the Kobe event of 1995 by weeks but having friends who were directly impacted and gave me feedback, the Nankai quake recently was a  reminder that a little preparation goes a long way. I hope you find this useful, especially for those new to Japan, and feel absolutely free to ask any questions!

 

The Emergency Medical Number is 119

 

First things first: Take a deep breath! Your Earthquake alarm will have made you jump!

 

So what will happen in the event of a major earthquake?

 

1    The ground around you will shake (a lot) and you will have difficulty standing and                             furniture will fall;
2       Mobile phone services will be unavailable within a few minutes of the quake (internet based communication may still work: Skype, FB Call, Line Call, What’sApp Call etc);
3       Traffic will be log-jammed with in a few minutes. If you’re on the highway they may not allow you to exit, train stations will not allow you to exit either until the external facades are declared safe;
4       Hotels will fill quickly and you may have to share a room with a stranger or sleep in the lobby etc;
5       Trains will stop until tracks have been confirmed safe (possibly next day);
6       There may be tsunami; coast lines and river valleys will see the main effect; 
7       There will be aftershocks and these may continue for several weeks, but they will eventually fade. You'll find after a time you become used to these and may start to video the impact.

 

 

Home Preparation

 

1       Prepare your house / apartment and relocate anything over the bed such as heavy pictures, re-arrange furniture so it will fall away from you, avoid placing any glass on the route between bedrooms and the front door;

2       Identify safety zones in the house especially for the kids to move to quickly;

3       Prepare an earthquake bag including water, rain-poncho, some clothing, a stack of 10 yen coins as pay phones will probably still work funnily enough, yen notes, pet supplies, wind-up radio;

4       Check the school evacuation policy, (do you pick the kids up, are they released to come home on their own, is it ok for a friend to pick them up?); 

5       Know where your gas meter is. In a severe earthquake there’s a safety trip which will cut the gas automatically. The reset button is the small red one next to the meter, press it and you'll have hot water again;

6       InterFM will probably be broadcasting updates in English; (Tokyo 89.7; Yokohama 86.5)

7       Ensure you have an Earthquake alarm on your phone, there’s a lot you can do with a few seconds warning, you’d be surprised;

8       If you live, or are vacationing near the coast, know your route to high ground and run (remember high ground includes tall buildings not just hill sides);

 

Office Preparation

 

1       Act quickly;

2       Try to stay in the office unless there’s a concern the building is no longer safe. FYI        the highest concern is falling glass and building fascades;

3       Keep a pair of comfortable shoes under your desk. Walking home in heels or leather soled shoes will become painful very quickly;

4       IT: Create an email account that includes all staff including temps, you may need to send “All Staff" communications over the next few days

5    If senior level, your teams will be watching for guidance. They’ll need your reassurance;

6       Know the route how to walk home, if you always travel by Metro, you may not know;

7       The first items to go in Combini will be battery powered phone chargers, good idea to keep one in your desk draw; Next will be bottled water, buy what you think you need, the next person may also need some;

8       And finally, to paraphrase FDR (and The West Wing): When your neighbour's house is on fire, you lend them your bucket. Help where you safely can.

 

If you have any additional thoughts, please leave in the comments below: