In the wake of Monday¡¯s earthquake off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, Japan issued its first-ever megaquake advisory for 182 municipalities along the Pacific coastline from Hokkaido to Chiba Prefecture, set to remain in effect until Monday.
The government is urging residents to be ready to evacuate immediately if they feel strong shaking. But while some facilities that house older adults and people with disabilities say they have been prepared for disasters for a long time already, others admit they are unsure how much they should prepare under a type of advisory they have never experienced before.
At Horiguchi Hibari-en, a nursing home in the city of Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, facility director Yutaro Deto, 32, said they stay constantly alert to disaster risks. He said staff had already rechecked door fittings, secured furniture and confirmed evacuation routes following the quake.
The home keeps ample stocks of water, food and other essentials, he added. ¡°Since logistics could be disrupted after advisories, we¡¯re trying to get necessary supplies from nearby stores instead of relying on deliveries,¡± he said.
At Urakawa Koyo-en, a support facility in the town of Urakawa, Hokkaido, that is home to about 30 residents with intellectual disabilities or limited mobility, all staff reviewed evacuation routes to nearby high ground in case a large tsunami occurs.
But the facility¡¯s 56-year-old director said many residents were still unsettled after the quake. ¡°Each person needs individual care, and we don¡¯t have the manpower to evacuate everyone at once,¡± he said. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what measures we¡¯re supposed to take, or how far we need to go.¡±
A staff member at a care facility for older people in the city of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture ¡ª where Monday¡¯s earthquake measured upper 6 on the Japan Meteorological Agency¡¯s seven-point seismic intensity scale ¡ª voiced similar concerns. ¡°At night, we have fewer workers on shift, so evacuating outside would be difficult. Moving residents to the second floor is all we can manage,¡± the person said.
A director in his 60s at a special nursing home for the elderly in Chiba Prefecture admitted that they ¡°haven¡¯t done anything out of the ordinary.¡± While the facility regularly conducts evacuation drills and checks emergency supplies, the advisory was completely unfamiliar, he said.
¡°Being prepared is everything. I guess I¡¯ll need to study this new advisory as well,¡± he added matter-of-factly.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.