!DOCTYPE html> Things We Can Do - Live With Rain

Things We Can Do

Torrential rain disasters can sometimes threaten lives. In this section, we will introduce measures we can take to cope with the ever-increasing number of torrential rain disasters amid extreme weather conditions.

1. Prepare in advance for torrential rain!

Example of Hazard Map
Image By: Chiyoda Ward

1.1 Check with hazard maps and evacuation shelter maps

Check the risk of flooding and landslides in and around your home and nearby evacuation centers!

  • Multiple evacuation sites
  • Multiple evacuation routes
  • Areas at high risk of flooding and landslide disasters, etc.

Check your home's risk of flooding, landslides and other disasters

Check the risk of landslides, floods, and storm surges using hazard maps distributed by local governments or available on the web, such as the Hazard Map Portal site operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism. Check to see if your area is in a "Flood Expected Flood Zone" and the "Duration of Flooding" as well.

Check the inland water hazard map too!

Even if you are far from a river, a rising river or a large amount of rainfall that exceeds the drainage capacity of the river may cause flooding of buildings and land because drainage cannot keep up. It is also important to check the inland water hazard map.

Check the evacuation site!

To ensure that you can evacuate quickly when an evacuation alarm is issued, check the designated emergency evacuation site nearby and confirm a safe evacuation route that avoids possible flooding or landslide areas. It is a good idea to discuss and decide on emergency evacuation sites and communication methods with your family.

Check the hazard map and inland water hazard map!

Hazard Map Portal Site（Japanese）( To external site ):You can find out what kind of disasters can happen around you on the website operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

Check the evacuation area!

Evacuation Site Map：Evacuation sites designated by local governments are listed, and nearby evacuation sites can be found.

1.2Get Prepared for Flooding!

Preparation for Outside of Home
Reinforce window and shutter
Check Emergency Supplies
Preparation for Inside of Home
Clean Drain
Secure water

Prevent flooding!

Cleaning and removing debris and gravel from gutters and drains can improve water flow and reduce the risk of flooding.Preventing entrances and exits at entrances with sandbags or water bags will help reduce the risk of flooding.

Make the outside of your home safe!

Before heavy rains and windy weather, windows and storm doors should be securely locked and reinforced. If necessary, secure items that may be blown away by the wind so that they do not fly away, or put away inside the house in case of flooding.

Be prepared for any eventuality!

In preparation for water outages, secure drinking water and fill bathtubs with water for daily use. It is also a good idea to put the shatterproof film on the window glass as a safety measure from inside the room and to take down the curtains and blinds in case flying objects fly into the room.

Prepare emergency supplies!

Disaster prevention goods It is advisable to prepare for a three-day evacuation.

  • Drinking water and food: dry bread, retort pouch foods, canned foods, crackers, powdered milk, baby bottles, etc.
  • Medicines: first aid kit, household medicines, masks, sanitary items, etc.
  • Valuables: cash, bankbook, personal seal, health insurance card, ID card, etc.
  • Clothing: underwear, towel, sleeping bag, rain gear, military gloves, shoes
  • Small items: radio, flashlight, can opener, knife, batteries, rope, matches or lighter, disposable body warmer, writing utensils, water bottle
  • Others: emergency hood, helmet, map, etc.

2. Protect yourself and your safety.

2.1Make decisions and act early.

Try to make calm decisions and take action to evacuate more quickly.

Image of Evacuation Levels

Know When to Evacuate.

As explained on the previous page, evacuate IMMEDIATELY when alert level 4 is issued.

Check weather information!

When there is a danger of heavy or torrential rain, check weather information frequently through TV, radio, and other media and take adequate precautions. In addition, the Japan Meteorological Agency's website provides various disaster prevention information ranging from weather warnings to landslide disasters and river overflows. If a warning is issued, do not hesitate to evacuate.

Check the disaster prevention information!

Information for Disaster Prevention - Japan Meteorological Agency:identify locations where weather hazards are recognized

Share disaster prevention information and early warnings!

Protect as many lives as possible by using the disaster prevention information introduced earlier, preventing damage before it happens, and sharing that information so that not only you but also many others can evacuate safely.

Warning And Advisory - JMA: You can check the announcement status of weather warnings and advisories and early warning information anytime.

2.2Precautions for evacuation

Let's check what to wear during evacuation and what to do before evacuation.

Check clothing suitable for evacuation

icon of clothing for evacuation
  • Wear a face mask
  • Wear long pants and long sleeves
  • Wear gloves
  • Wear a hat/helmet!

    Wear a hat or helmet to protect your head in case of windblown objects or falls.

  • Make both hands available

    To be able to act immediately, keep both hands open in a backpack for items needed in the event of an evacuation. Wearable rain gear, such as a raincoat, is safer than an umbrella. A light that can be worn around the neck is also preferable, as it will reduce the burden of moving around.

  • Close umbrella and use it as a walking stick.

    When walking on flooded roads, use an umbrella as a walking stick to avoid falling over steps, manholes with lids, irrigation ditches, etc., as it is difficult to see where you are going.

  • Wear comfortable sneakers.

    Boots are dangerous Boots are dangerous in a flood or inundation evacuation. Boots become heavy with water coming in, making it harder to walk. Sneakers that can be tied tightly with laces and have thicker soles are best.

Check before leaving home for evacuation.

Precautions to be taken during evacuation

When you are evacuating, DON'T evacuate alone. Try to evacuate with more than one person as much as possible. Also, avoid rivers and slopes as much as possible and take higher roads. If flooding has already begun, try to evacuate by avoiding flooded roads as much as possible. It is important to evacuate carefully and without haste, taking care to be safe.

If evacuation seems impossible

If flooding has occurred and is more than 50 cm deep, DON'T evacuate with danger. If you are outside, Find reinforced building, evacuate to theHighest floor you can. If there is no such building nearby, you are at home, evacuate to a room on the second floor or higher away from nearby mountains, cliffs, or other slopes that may collapse.

In recent years, there have been warnings that abnormal weather phenomena are becoming more frequent and more frequent due to global warming. Rather than viewing this as someone else's problem, we need to reaffirm that we live in a world that is prone to disasters, and that conventional disaster prevention measures cannot compete with them. The national and local governments need to prepare for such disasters as well as promote recovery and reconstruction of the affected areas. We need to think about what we can do and live with disasters as well as the national and local governments. To this end, we should prepare for disasters and participate in disaster drills held in our communities and schools, each of which will lead to major countermeasures.

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