ANALYSIS OF EVACUATION BEHAVIORS IN DIFFERENT AREAS BEFORE AND AFTER THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE

Abstract

This study aims to obtain the insights necessary for future disaster prevention planning and
management in Japan. To this end, a questionnaire survey on evacuation behaviors was administered to the
residents of Yamada-machi in Iwate Prefecture and Ishinomaki-shi in Miyagi Prefecture, which had been
stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The obtained data were analyzed on the basis of the regional
differences in said behaviors. The analytical results are summarized as follows. (1) Prevention measures,
such as earthquake drills and occasional discussions regarding earthquakes, tended to be implemented in
areas facing the Rias coast before the Great Earthquake occurred. (2) The interval between the occurrence of
the earthquake and the initiation of evacuation was shorter in the regions fronting the Rias coast and in those
located along a coastline than in areas situated on a plain and along a river. (3) Residents of the regions
facing the Rias coast and the areas located along a river tended to evacuate by foot, whereas people living in
other areas favored evacuation by automobile.