Taking Care of Ourselves in a Disaster

Written By: guyjin on September 26, 2009 One Comment

50 years ago today, Japan experienced its second worst post war era natural disaster, the ‘Ise-wan Typhoon’ (also known as Typhoon Vera) of Sept 26, 1959. 5,098 people died or went missing, and a further 38,921 people were injured as a result of the typhoon, especially in and around Nagoya. It also caused an estimated US$2 billion in damages in 2009 money.

Asahi.com have an interesting article on the disaster today, which is worth reading. They note that in times of disaster, the first line of defence lies with ourselves. An unprepared population, with no plans for taking care of themselves in time of disaster can have terrible consequences. I come from Perth, Australia, where typhoons, cyclones and earthquakes are not a factor. But since coming to Japan I have experienced dozens of small earthquakes, and each time its uncertain just when the shaking is going to stop. Every time a moderate or small quake hits, I find myself wondering if this is going to be a big one. Thankfully, so far none of them have been. I left Japan for the first time just a few weeks before the massive Hanshin earthquake in 1995, and have heard a lot of stories of lucky escapes from that disaster, as well as very sad stories of those that didn’t survive.

At times like this, the 50th anniversary of a major disaster, its a great time to remind ourselves to have a plan of action for when a disaster like this hits. Thankfully in the case of typhoons, there is usually a fair bit of advance warning. Not so much with earthquakes. Having a pack of food and essentials, and water, that can be grabbed in a hurry, and knowing where to go in an emergency are two small things that can be done by anyone in advance. In most disasters there will be help within days. But anything we can do for ourselves to get out of the area of danger and to take care of ourselves for a few days will help. Its always tempting to blame governments or others for not being on the spot with help immediately when its needed. And sometimes there are good points to be made in that regard. But ultimately, its up to us to make sure that we take care of ourselves, and anyone else that we can. Thats what preparedness is all about…

See:

In a Disaster, We Must Ensure Our Own Survival

Wiki: Typhoon Vera (1959)