Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-02T23:25:39.284Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measuring Personal Damage in a Large-Scale Disaster: A Review of the Reports Published by the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency on the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2022

Mari Kinoshita Open the ORCID record for Mari Kinoshita [Opens in a new window]  and
Mikifumi Shikida
Mari Kinoshita*
Affiliation:
University of Kochi Faculty of Nursing, Ike, Kochi, Japan
Mikifumi Shikida
Affiliation:
Kochi University of Technology, Tosa Yamada, Kami, Kochi, Japan
*
Corresponding Author: Mari Kinoshita, Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

The study’s aim is to identify the challenges in estimating personal damages in the early stages of a disaster.

Methods:

The study reviewed personal damage data in the reports on the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami published by Japanese public agencies from 2011 to 2020, including 159 situation reports by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and 17 disaster-related indirect death reports by the Reconstruction Agency. The study compared the reported number of deaths, missing persons, and injuries with the latest statistics to evaluate how soon the disaster’s real damages were estimated.

Results:

The reported number of deaths significantly increased in the first 1.5 years, whereas the number of missing persons spiked in the first 30 days. It required approximately 1 year until the numbers approximated the current reference rate. The total casualties included 3739 indirect deaths.

Conclusion:

The results indicated an overestimation of missing persons, a possible underestimation of injuries, and the excess deaths due to indirect causes that complicated the estimation. The limitations of the current data collection approaches are the delay in reporting from the field and incomplete and unreliable information. A novel system is proposed, which directly collects data from all affected individuals anonymously.

Keywords

disaster-related indirect deathspersonal damagerapid health assessment
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 5 , October 2022 , pp. 2056 - 2064
Copyright
© Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

World Health Organization. Rapid health assessment protocols for emergencies. Geneva: WHO; 1999.Google Scholar
Korteweg, HA, Bokhoven, Iv, Yzermans, CJ, et al. Rapid health and needs assessments after disasters: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2010;10:295. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-295.Google ScholarPubMed
Mongin, SJ, Baron, SL, Schwarts, RM, et al. Measuring the impact of disasters using publicly available data: application to Hurricane Sandy (2012). Am J Epidemiol. 2017;186(11):1290-1299. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwx194.Google Scholar
Lee, C, Doocy, S, Kirsch, T, et al. Measuring impact: a cross-sectional multi-stage cluster survey to assess the attainment of durable solutions in post-tsunami Aceh, Indonesia. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:1168. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-1168.Google ScholarPubMed
Ochi, S, Murray, V, Hodgson, S. The Great East Japan earthquake disaster: a compilation of published literature on health needs and relief activities. March 2011–September 2012. PLoS Curr. 2013;5:ecurrents.dis.771beae7d8f41c31cd91e765678c005d.Google Scholar
Arii, M. Rapid assessment in disasters. Special feature: Comprehensive CME Program Disaster Medicine Part 1. Conference and Lectures. JMAJ. 2013;56(1):19-24.Google Scholar
Cabinet Office Government of Japan. 1) 三陸沖を震源とする地震 (第2-6報)、The earthquake in Sanriku off (2-6 report) 2) 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第7-103報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (7-103 report). 3) 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (東日本大震災) について(第104-160報)、Report on 2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (GEJED) (104-160th report). H25年2013. http://www.bousai.go.jp/taisaku/hisaisyagyousei/youengosya/h25/pdf/hinansien-honbun.pdf. Accessed July 20, 2020.Google Scholar
Ministry of Justice, Japanese Government. Basic Act on Disaster Management. 1961. http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?id=3322&#vm=&#re=. Accessed July 31, 2020.Google Scholar
Takahashi, K, Ogihara, A. Analysis of the sharing and utilization of the list of people requiring disaster evacuation assistance in local governments. 地域安全学会論文集 (Journal of the Institute of Social Safety Science (ISSS)) No. 33, 2018.11. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jisss/33/0/33_215/_pdf/-char/ja. Accessed November 20, 2020.Google Scholar
GLIDE number. EQ Earthquake. Number 2011-000028. Honshu, Japan. https://glidenumber.net/glide/public/search/details.jsp?glide=19439&#record=1&#last=1. Accessed November 6, 2020.Google Scholar
Reconstruction Agency, The Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. Great Japan earthquake and tsunami. https://www.reconstruction.go.jp/english/topics/GEJE/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2020.Google Scholar
Reconstruction Agency. 東日本大震災における震災関連死に関する報告 (Disaster-related death in GEJED.), H24. August 21, 2012. https://www.reconstruction.go.jp/topics/240821_higashinihondaishinsainiokerushinsaikanrenshinikansuruhoukoku.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
National Police Agency. Largescale-disaster and the police restructuring crisis management systems based on lessons learnt from the earthquake. Special feature. 2012. https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/h24/english/WHITE_PAPER_1.pdf. Accessed July 28, 2020.Google Scholar
e-Stat. Population and households of Japan (Final report of the 2010 population census). Portal site of official statistics on Japan. https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&#layout=datalist&#toukei=00200521&#tstat=000001039448&#cycle=0&#tclass1=000001045009&#tclass2=000001046265. Accessed July 17, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年)東北地方太平洋沖地震とりまとめ報. https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/higaihou-past-jishin/. Accessed November 19, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 三陸沖を震源とする地震、(The earthquake in Sanriku off (Second report)). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin2.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (東日本大震災) について(第160報)、Report on 2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (GEJED) (160th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/items/160.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
National Metrological Agency, 「平成 23 年 (2011 年)東北地方太平洋沖地震」について～９年間の地震活動～ (2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake~9 years seismicity) nine-year review. March 9, 2020. https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/press/2003/09a/2002offtohokueq.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 三陸沖を震源とする地震 (第5報)、The earthquake in Sanriku off (Fifth report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin5.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第13報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (13th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin13.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第68報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (68th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin68.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第73報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (73rd report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin73.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (東日本大震災) について (第109報)、 Report on 2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (GEJED) (109th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin109.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第42報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (42nd report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin42.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第43報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (43rd report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin43.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第9報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (9th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin9.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (第12報)、2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (12th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin12.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (東日本大震災) について (第140報)、 Report on 2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (GEJED) (140th report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin140.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 平成23年 (2011年) 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (東日本大震災) について (第141報)、 Report on 2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake (GEJED) (141st report). https://www.fdma.go.jp/disaster/higashinihon/assets/jishin141.pdf. Accessed June 11, 2020.Google Scholar
避難区域の変遷について-解説 (The transition of the affected area - a commentary.)- Fukushima Prefecture. Updated March 6, 2020. https://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/site/portal/cat01-more.html. Accessed July 27, 2020.Google Scholar
National Police Agency, 特集：大規模災害と警察、Special feature: largescale-disaster and the police restructuring crisis management systems based on lessons learnt from the earthquake. The White Paper on Police H24. 2012. Original Japanese Version, p. 14. 2012. https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/h24/honbun/pdf/05_tokushu.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2020.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Kinoshita and Shikida supplementary material

Kinoshita and Shikida supplementary material

Download Kinoshita and Shikida supplementary material(File)
File 36.7 KB