Tsunami from Kamchatka Hit Coast of Japan

A major earthquake with magnitude 8.7 occurred in seabed close to Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, on July 30th. The quake caused tsunami in broad coastal area in Japan. The government of Japan issued information about approach of tsunami in the region facing the Pacific Ocean. The government has been enhancing preventive measures against possible great tsunami in Japan. The Kamchatka quake offered an opportunity to review its plan to reduce damages from disaster.

The government issued tsunami warning to thirteen prefectures which faced the Pacific Ocean one hour after the earthquake. Japan Meteorological Agency announce that it was possible that tsunami with maximum three meters high may arrive in the coastal area. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States also warned that tsunami would arrive on the coast of Alaska or Hawaii.

 

Although the epicenter was 1,500 kilometers away from the eastmost point of Hokkaido Island of Japan, tsunami eventually reached the coast of Japan in two hours. The height of measured tsunami was 1.3 meter in Kuji, Iwate, 0.8 meter in Nemuro, Hokkaido, and 0.7 meter in Ishinomaki in Miyagi and Soma in Fukushima. Tsunami washed wharf in some ports.

 

As soon as tsunami warning was issued, local governments broadcast guidance of evacuation through radio system to the residents. It is usual that a local government announces information of disaster or recommendation of voting in election of public office from speakers set up everywhere along the street.

 

However, the earthquake in Kamchatka was so imperceptible for the people in Japan that some people did not follow the guidance of evacuation, because the warning of tsunami was acknowledged as small as causing no damage. In a city with designated evacuation area, such as park on the hilltop, there occurred heavy traffic jam on the road leading to the hill.

 

In the Kamchatka earthquake, tsunami reached the coast not once but many times. Evacuation guidance from the national government lasted a long period of time. It was found that some facilities designated for evacuation did not have sufficient air conditioning system for evacuees in hot and humid mid-summer. In some cities, the evacuation was not completed before arriving tsunami on the coast.

 

Japanese government is enhancing its measures to prevent damages from possible great earthquake in Nankai Trough, in which huge tsunami will arrive the coastal area within three minutes from the occurrence. Immediate evacuation in a short time is the greatest challenge in future earthquakes. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ordered his minister in charge of disaster prevention to review the problems emerged in the Kamchatka earthquake.

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