At 2.46PM on March 11, 2011 my office began to shake. Some five minutes later it stopped and we could all stand again. There is a universe of stories about that day (heck, I even wrote a book on it) so today is not so much a 11/11 story as general food for thought about what'll it be like when another hits (which it will) action that may take the sting out of it. I hope you find it useful, a little preparation can go a long way.
The Emergency Medical Number is 119
First things first: Take a deep breath! Your earthquake alarm is loud!
So what will happen in the event of a major earthquake?
1 The ground around you will shake (a lot) and you probably can’t stand;
2 Mobile phone services will be out in around 10 mins (internet communication may still work: (FB Call, Line Call, What’sApp Call etc);
3 Roads will be log-jammed in a few minutes. If you’re on the highway they may not let you off, train stations will not let you out until the external facades are declared safe;
4 Hotels will fill quickly and you may have to share a room with a stranger;
5 Trains will stop until tracks have been confirmed safe (possibly next day);
6 There may be tsunami; coastlines 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.
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;
2 Identify safety zones in the house especially for the kids;
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, 1000 yen notes, pet supplies, wind-up radio etc;
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;
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;
Work 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;
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 (Convenience Store) will be battery powered phone chargers, good idea to keep one in your desk draw;
8 And finally, to paraphrase FDR: When your neighbour's house is on fire, you lend them your bucket. Help where you safely can.
