Earthquake! Tips for Staying Safe
Earthquake-prone Japan has a system to send alerts to television screens or mobile phones when a large-scale earthquake is expected. When we receive an alert, what should we do? In this episode, we learn how to protect ourselves in various situations with our reporter, Janni Olsson.
Janni stands in front of an "earthquake simulation vehicle," which can reproduce the shakes of past earthquakes in Japan.
Janni tried the simulated earthquake that struck Kumamoto in 2016 and recorded maximum seismic intensity of 7 on the scale from 0 to 7.
Recommended behavior is different depending on where you are when an earthquake strikes. Disaster prevention specialist Sawa Yoshihiro explains desirable initial responses under various circumstances.
For example, if an earthquake occurs when you are walking in a residential area, you should crouch in the middle of the street. Taking shelter by concrete-block walls could be dangerous since they might collapse.