Emergency Info

What do to in an Emergency?

1. Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

Here in Nagasaki we have what we call the Emergency Action Plan (EAP).

This plan has been put together in order to confirm the safety of all JETs in Nagasaki prefecture in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, like the major earthquake that shook Kumamoto in 2016.

 The EAP works like this:

If you can get a message to your Area rep but they don’t reply after a few minutes, then directly contact the PAs.

2. Be Ready

Prepare an Emergency Kit

If you have to evacuate, you will have precious little time to gather your necessities and head out. Having an emergency kit on the ready ensures that you will not forget anything essential. We highly recommend preparing such a kit and keeping it in an easily accessible place.

For more information on emergency kits and how to pack your own, check this link https://savvytokyo.com/get-prepared-earthquake-kit/

Find out about your Local Evacuation Points

Take the time to identify the different evacuation points in your area and figure out how you can reach them. If you don’t have a car, we recommend talking to your neighbors to see if any of them would be able to take you to the evacuation points.

Stay Informed

There are many websites and apps that can notify you of upcoming/ongoing natural disasters and provide essential information in case of emergency. Here are our main recommendations:

• • Japan Meteorological Agency’s website https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html.
    • JMA’s website is entirely in English. It includes information about every type of natural disaster imaginable, as well as live forecasts, risk maps, etc. Please note the it uses UTC time, rather than JST (Japan Standard Time, UTC + 9).

• • Safety Tips (Smartphone App) https://www.jnto.go.jp/safety-tips/eng/app.html
    • Safety Tips is the official app created by the Japan National Tourism Agency for foreign tourists and residents in Japan. It provides warnings about natural disasters, as well as evacuation information and communication cards meant to help you gather the information you need from other people. It works in several languages, including English.

3. Understanding Emergency Notifications

Cellphone Emergency Alerts

Japan has a nation-wide emergency warning system called J-Alert. If an emergency warning is issued for your area, you will receive a push notification on your cell phone. Unfortunately, the warnings are usually in Japanese. If you receive an emergency alert and you cannot understand what it says, screenshot it and then translate the screenshot with the picture function of Google Translate. The warnings are very straightforward and therefore easy to translate accurately.

*** If you do not speak Japanese, we highly recommend downloading the “Safety Tips” app instead of relying solely on J-Alert. ***

Speaker Announcements

Municipalities in Japan are equipped with speakers used for public announcements. Those announcements can come at all times of day (and night, if it’s urgent) and are used to inform the public of a large array of topics, ranging from local festivals to evacuation orders. Unfortunately, most municipalities’ announcements are only in Japanese and the sound tend to be very muffled, making it hard to understand. If you hear an announcement in your area and you would like to know what it said, we recommend looking up your municipality’s website. You can usually find the same announcements as a banner on the front page, or in the News section.

4. Types of Disasters

a)   Earthquakes 

• • • Will there be an emergency alert?

Earthquakes are extremely hard to anticipate, so most of them arrive unannounced or the alert comes only seconds before the shaking starts.

• • • What should I do if there is an earthquake?

If you feel an earthquake, drop to the floor and cover your head.

If there is a table or desk near you, crouch underneath to be protected against falling objects.

DO NOT walk around to find a table or desk for cover.

Stay away from windows, bookshelves and any other piece of furniture that could break or topple down.

Stay inside! Japanese buildings are built to resist earthquakes. It’s normal for your building to “sway” during an earthquake. You are safe there.

• • • What should I do after the earthquake?

Look at your phone to see if any emergency warning or evacuation order is in place.

Check your gas stove to make sure there isn’t any leak.

Try opening your door to make sure that the frame isn’t damaged and that you can exit if you need to.

Remember that earthquakes usually have “aftershocks”, so stay alert.

b)   Tsunami

• • • Will there be an emergency alert?

Probably. If you are near a large river or the coastline though, it is recommended not to wait for a tsunami warning before evacuating after a big earthquake.

• • • What should I do if there is a tsunami?

Go to higher grounds.

If you are home and your building is several stories tall, go to the top floor or the roof if possible. If you are not home or your building is quite short, evacuate to the closest tall building around. DO NOT take the elevator to go up. Use the stairs.

If you are in a car, park it, get out and go to the nearest tall building. DO NOT try to evacuate by car.

• • • What should I do after the tsunami?

Tsunamis can come in successions, so even if the coast seems clear, it may not be safe yet. Stay on high grounds until you receive the “ok” from the authorities. Then, go to the designated evacuation area.

c)   Typhoons

• • • Will there be an emergency alert?

Yes. Unlike earthquakes and tsunamis, typhoons give us ample warning time. Make sure to look up the website of the Japan Meteorological Agency (https://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/) regularly during typhoon seasons (May to October) and you will never be caught unaware by a typhoon.

• • • What should I do if there is a typhoon?

Unless there is an evacuation order for your area, the safest place to be during a typhoon is inside. So please, stay indoors! If your house is in an area prone to flooding and/or mudslides, arrange to go to a friend’s house and weather the storm there.

Be ready for possible blackouts. Make sure you have enough non-refrigerated food and drinking water to last you through the storm and its possible aftermath. We also recommend filling out your tub with water before any blackouts occur, as they may also cut the water supply in your house. You will need this water to be able to “manually” flush your toilet.

Bring any loose outside items (potted plant, small BBQs, lawn chair, non-secured laundry poles, etc.) that could be lifted by the wind inside.

Close your curtains to protect against glass shards in the event of a broken window. You can also apply tape on your window (X shape or star shape) to strengthen it and hold broken pieces together if the window shatters.

• • • What should I do after the typhoon?

Wait for the storm to be fully gone before stepping outside. Be careful around trees and other structures that look damaged and could fall.