Preparation Situation To Storing Supplies for Disasters Against Residents of High-Rise Condominiums Apartments in Tokyo, Japan

Abstract eng:
The possibility that a major earthquake could affect Tokyo in the future is high. In that event, buildings and the lives of people who live in them will suffer significant damage. Moreover, many people will be unable to return home after such a disaster. Because the downtown Tokyo population density is high, the number of high-rise condominiums in the area greatly exceeds the number of displaced person shelters. Even if inhabitants relocate to emergency shelters after an earthquake, the potential for confusion is high. Therefore, the government has recommended that residents of relatively new high-rise residential buildings resist going to emergency shelters and instead remain in their own homes. However, most people are unaware of this information. We conducted a survey of over 800 residents living in high-rise condominiums (of 10 or more stories) in central Tokyo. The survey assessed awareness and knowledge about earthquakes and disaster preparedness. Results show that about 50% of residents would take refuge at home. Many of the key reasons for doing so are the poor living conditions at emergency shelters (e.g., small spaces, no privacy, and noisy surroundings), prohibition of pets in emergency shelters, and so on. However, almost none of the respondents had emergency supplies available, such as water, food, or other daily necessities. This lack of preparedness would result in many people needing to move to emergency shelters during a disaster. If residents’ own homes were to be unscathed, many respondents who still wish to evacuate to emergency shelters cite reasons such as the availability of information regarding aftershocks, damage to the local area, and damage to and restoration status of transportation facilities and lifelines. They also expect these shelters to distribute food, water, and daily necessities. By analyzing these conditions, we hope to develop a method to avoid confusion after a disaster and educate building residents on their needs in a disaster situation and the preparatory actions they need to take.

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