45 Japan prefectures cite vehicle evacuee tracking issues in survey

Of Japan’s 47 prefectures, 45 consider it a challenge to track the location and number of people evacuating in their vehicles during disasters a Jiji survey showed Sunday.

In large-scale disasters, many people choose to shelter in their cars for a variety of reasons. However, local governments often struggle to grasp the individual situations of such evacuees, who are scattered across different locations. This challenge raises concern that the appropriate emergency assistance may not reach them.

Following a major earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in late July, many disaster victims opted to evacuate in their vehicles due to concerns about conditions in evacuation shelters and the fear of aftershocks.

The survey, conducted in mid- to late August, asked all 47 prefectures to identify challenges related to vehicle-based evacuation, allowing multiple answers. Responses were received from all prefectures.

The most frequently cited issue in all prefectures except Tochigi and Tokyo was how to keep track of the number of evacuees and their locations. Reasons included the fact that evacuation sites tend to be dispersed and that evacuees may move from place to place.

Ishikawa Prefecture, which experienced the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, pointed out that identifying people evacuating to another house or by vehicle is particularly difficult because authorities largely rely on voluntary self-reporting by evacuees.

The Hokkaido prefectural government noted the need for designated vehicle-evacuation areas where evacuees can be monitored and supported.

The second most common concern after location tracking was understanding evacuees’ health conditions and support needs, named by 44 prefectures, followed by securing sufficient delivering assistance as well as personnel and administrative systems to evacuees — both cited by 40 prefectures.

Ehime Prefecture said officials need to actually patrol vehicles in order to locate evacuees, while Nagasaki Prefecture noted that dispersed evacuation locations make it more difficult for aid to reach those in need.

Authorities also emphasized the need for responses tailored to different evacuation environments.

Hyogo Prefecture highlighted the importance of measures against extreme heat and cold, noting that suspected heatstroke deaths among people staying in vehicles were reported after the Kumamoto earthquake.

Nagano Prefecture stressed that, in order to prevent deaths from indirect causes of disasters, it is crucial for relevant organizations to coordinate closely while gathering and sharing information.

Taku Sugano, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University and an expert on disaster victim support, stated that people should not be prevented from choosing evacuation locations where they feel most comfortable. At the same time, he emphasized that the key issue is “how to identify evacuees and what options and support can be provided to them once they are identified.”