No.56 Support for the Disaster Areas of the Kumamoto Earthquake

Following the foreshock that recorded a magnitude of 6.5 and intensity of 7 in Mashiki Town, Kumamoto Prefecture at 9:26 PM on April 14, 2016, the main shock occurred at 1:25 AM on the 16th, recording a magnitude of 7.3 and intensity of 7 in Mashiki Town and Nishihara Village. This unprecedented major earthquake, which recorded two intensity 7 events in just two days, caused significant damage to the Kumamoto region.
The city prepared for the deployment of the Emergency Firefighting Assistance Team immediately after the disaster occurred, collected information, and held the first earthquake information liaison meeting the following morning to share information within the office. Since this earthquake occurred in a remote area, there was no request for the deployment of the Emergency Firefighting Assistance Team or DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team), but we decided to transport disaster relief supplies, conduct fundraising activities for donations, and dispatch necessary personnel.

Regarding the transportation of relief supplies, we had to hold off due to transportation disruptions on roads and railways immediately after the disaster. However, on the 19th, we arranged for truck transport and sent relief supplies to Kumamoto City and Uto City in Kumamoto Prefecture. On the 21st, we were able to arrange for railway containers, and sent relief supplies to Beppu City in Oita Prefecture. Subsequently, on the 24th, we sent relief supplies again to Uto City, and city staff volunteers conducted fundraising activities at various stations in the city. Additionally, we dispatched city staff to the site for necessary tasks such as "Emergency Risk Assessment of Damaged Buildings," "Issuance of Disaster Certificates," and "Disaster Support Nurses."
The recipients of the supplies transported are all member cities of the National Association of Young Mayors, in which I participate as an OB. At one point, there was information that the acceptance of relief supplies in the disaster-stricken areas would be suspended, but this was not because the supplies were sufficiently distributed; rather, it was due to the inadequate acceptance and sorting system on-site, leading to shortages of supplies in some regions. I believe that our ability to contact these cities and send necessary items after confirming their requests is due to the collaboration between municipalities that have established direct cooperation systems.
After a certain period has passed since the disaster, I believe it is necessary to organize information aggregation and support contact points by the national and prefectural governments. However, during the chaotic period immediately after the disaster, having a direct support system between municipalities is crucial for smooth interactions. The damage from the Kumamoto earthquake is expected to require a long recovery period, similar to the Great East Japan Earthquake. Therefore, Inagi City will continue to provide necessary support in the future.
It is said that disasters come when we least expect them, but recently it seems that we often suffer the effects of the next natural disaster while the memory of the previous one is still fresh. We kindly ask you to take this opportunity to reconfirm your household preparations for events such as a major earthquake directly beneath the capital.

(Inagi Newsletter July 15, 2016 issue)