Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–More than half of people in Japan lack confidence in their ability to evacuate during a disaster or believe they would be unable to do so, a survey by the Japanese Red Cross Society has shown. The survey also showed that about 30 pct of respondents said they did not know when to evacuate in the event of a disaster. “It’s important to think of evacuation as something that could affect you personally and prepare on a daily basis,” said Tomohito Yamaji of the Red Cross’s disaster management division. The multiple-choice online survey was conducted July 3-7, with 1,440 people in their 10s to 60s responding. When asked if they would be able to collect necessary information and take steps to evacuate in the event of a disaster, 42.4 pct said they were not very confident, while 10.8 pct said they did not think they would be able to do so. The survey also found that 72.3 pct had never evacuated, while 16.0 pct had secured safety at home, 8.5 pct had evacuated to a shelter and 5.2 pct had stayed in a car after a disaster. Asked about the appropriate timing for evacuation, 30.1 pct, the largest share, said people should evacuate when public organizations such as the Japan Meteorological Agency and local governments tell them to do so. The proportion of respondents who said they would evacuate after confirming damage in the surrounding area stood at 13.8 pct, while 11.5 pct would do so upon the issuance of a weather warning or a special warning related to a tsunami, volcanic eruption or earthquake. Meanwhile, 14.0 pct, the second-largest share, said they would not evacuate. When asked why they hesitated to evacuate, with multiple answers allowed, 33.1 pct said they would not know when to evacuate. Anxiety about leaving their current location was cited by 27.2 pct. Also, 20.5 pct were worried about conditions at evacuation destinations, and 20.3 pct were concerned about transportation during evacuation. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
