Directions for prevention (18) Evacuate even when you don’t feel any shaking

　There was a tsunami following the large-scale submarine volcanic eruption in Tonga which occurred in January resulting from the effects of atmospheric pressure change. The waves hit the distant coast　of Japan, affecting the lives of many, such as causing damage to aquaculture rafts in Tohoku and suspension of railway services.

Tsunamis which occur far away may travel across the sea to Japan. This is called “distant tsunami.” In the 1960 Chile tsunami and earthquake, the tsunami which occurred in the South American country of Chile took 22 hours to reach Japan, resulting in 142 casualties in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures. If you have family members or neighbors who remember this event, please ask them to relate their experience.

If a tsunami advisory is issued, get away from the sea even if you didn’t feel any shaking. A 50cm tsunami can knock an adult down and a 1-meter tsunami has the power to destroy a house. Even if the expected arrival time has passed, never go near the sea until the advisory has been lifted.