1 Natural Disasters and Safety in ChibaPreparing for the Worst So That the Worst Doesn’t Happen Zach Price 2017 Chiba Orientation
2 Zach’s Experiences with DisasterEarthquakes Typhoons Theft March 11th Earthquake and Tsunami 6 years in Japan, experienced a number of natural disasters, accidents, and incidents. Earthquakes - Very common, usually nothing to worry about. Get used to them = NOT GOOD Typhoons – Maybe one or two a year. Used to storms in central Illinois. Typhoon was like a windy thunderstorm Theft – Bike seat stolen. Nothing I could do. March 11th – Caught me off guard and fairly unprepared. No electricity, cell phones, trains, buses, schedule messed up for several days Aftershocks were horrifying, but at least I was prepared.
3 Ring of Fire (Sort of) Earthquakes are an everyday occurrence in JapanAs of 8:45 AM August 23rd 2017, Japan has had… 1 earthquake in the past day 6 earthquakes in the past week 35 earthquakes in the past month 463 earthquakes in the past year Data from Major earthquakes (M7 or greater) are much less common 震度 – しんど – shindo i.e. seismic intensity (Sort of) Earthquakes occur every day, but the vast majority are too small to be felt or do much damage. The data includes quakes that register M 1.5 or greater Compared to 699 last year, 405 two years ago. Japan doesn’t really use Moment magnitude, there’s a separate scale. 震度 – Japan and Taiwan. Doesn’t describe energy released, but the shaking.
4 0 – Not felt 1 – Felt by some people indoors (upper floors, etc.) 2 – Felt by most people indoors, sleeping people may wake
5 Most of Chiba experienced an upper 5 (５強) on March 11th 2011.
6 Preparing for an EarthquakeRegister with an appropriate agency japan.usembassy.gov Evacuation Center Keep an evacuation pack Secure furniture, heavy objects, etc 訓練 – くんれん – Drills at school Pass out the sheet. Difficult to prepare for an earthquake, but there are measures you can take to ensure safety. STEP, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, etc. Pack – Refer to handout. Keep in a place that is easy to access after an emergency. Don’t hide it somewhere. Make sure things aren’t top heavy, things won’t fall all over the place. Put heavier objects on bottom shelves, etc. Join your students and coworkers in safety drills! Get to know your neighbors, and make sure they know you. Know emergency exits from your house/apartment.
7 During an Earthquake Protect yourself!Turn off any open flames and circuit breakers Open a door Stay calm JMA Early warning system may give you a few seconds heads up. If the quake is too strong to do anything else, protect yourself. Inside – Under a sturdy desk or table, not one that will fall over. Doorway -> NOPE Outside – Get away from buildings, especially older ones, panels etc. Find an open area. Follow the instructions of people that seem to know what they’re doing. Quakes can break gas lines and electric wires, resulting in fires and shorts. Door frames can twist and warp, and you may be trapped. Don’t Panic
8 After an Earthquake Identify other possible risks and take appropriate action Make contact with others and inform them of your safety Stay informed of what’s going on American Forces Network Tokyo : AM 810 kHz Yahoo Weather Earthquake Information (Japanese) Japan Meteorological Agency Other risks –Fire, gas leaks, broken glass, tsunami, aftershocks, liquefaction Contact – Supervisor, BC, other ALTs in the area, embassy, family, friends back home. Stay informed – Japanese news sites, AFN, reliable news sites. Probably not Facebook.
9 Do You Need to Evacuate? If you’re at work when a large earthquake hits, STAY THERE. Schools are built to withstand quakes and serve as evac centers.
10 Do You Need to Evacuate? After March 11th, the gyms at my schools all served as evac centers
11 Do You Need to Evacuate?
12 Earthquake Warning SystemsJMA / Government Warnings Yurekuru Call Yahoo 防災速報 (bousai sokuhou) Television Thousand Leaves Wiki Disaster Warnings Japan Meteorological Association and government warnings can be sent to your iPhone Yurekuru Call, Yahoo 防災速報 require more Japanese, kanji ability TV/internet/cell phones may not be functional
13 Tropical Storms and CyclonesNorthwestern Pacific Ocean is the most active basin on the planet Average of 25.7 tropical storms or stronger Average of 16 typhoons EVERY YEAR from 68-89 7 different basins where typhoons and storms form Hurricane – Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Ocean Cyclone – Indian Ocean Typhoon – Western Pacific Ocean – NOAA National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration Data not just for Japan, Pic has data from Unlike quakes, typhoons take time to develop = time to prepare
14 Preparing for a Typhoon (Outside)Ensure your home is sturdy Check for cracks, loose windows, etc. Check your roof and gutters Bring in anything from outside Unless your house is falling apart, you should be fine. However, don’t be afraid to evacuate. Make sure everything is sealed and secure. Once it starts, you probably won’t be able to shut or move anything until it’s over. Loose tiles, leaves and dirt, etc. Things that aren’t nailed down WILL be blown away, so secure them or just bring them inside (clothes, clothing poles, plants, etc.)
15 Preparing for a Typhoon (Inside)Store food and water Turn off electronics when not in use Move furniture and valuables Keep up to date Stay inside Maybe 2-3 days worth, just in case, but don’t go crazy at the supermarket If on the first floor, move things around in case of inundation or flooding Check the weather forecasts. Most typhoons pass within a day, but before and after can be just as windy If things aren’t too dangerous, it isn’t necessary to go to an evac center
16 General Disaster PreparationThings to keep in mind Emergency Contact Info Words and Phrases Websites Don’t just prepare for being at home, what if you’re at school or a friend’s? Look at the websites before something happens so you’re familiar and know how to navigate the site.
17 Crime and Theft Low Crime Rate ≠ No CrimeSecure valuables inside and outside your home Trust your instincts Treat Japan as everywhere else Tell someone Kyoto JET guide to staying safe Japan is consistently ranked as one of the safest, lowest crime-rate countries in the world. Foreigners stick out, especially in inaka. Lock your bike. Don’t leave money out everywhere. Close your windows/screens. If you’re in a situation and something feels wrong, trust your gut. Keep the habits you have from living in America. Play it safe. If something does happen, tell me, Zach, Mr. Tani, somebody. You will be taken seriously.
18 Things NOT to do in JapanDON’T post pictures or videos of your students! DON’T interact with your students on social media! Things not to do at school. Not just pictures or videos of them, but of their homework or tests, either. Privacy violation. Think if you were a student. Kids get in enough trouble with social media as it is, they don’t need an adult to make things worse. Be friendly with them at school. Draw the line between Teacher/Authority Figure and Friend.
19 Contacting Students Teachers need permission from the Principal in order to contact students privately Ask your supervisor if necessary “But my students want to communicate and practice their English!” “They aren’t my students anymore, so it’s okay now, right?” Phone, , anything needs to be approved by the principal. ALTs are no exception. English exchange journal that you trade at school, eat lunch with them, encourage them to join speech team, anything done at school in a classroom setting is fine. Non-digital communication offers better practice (speaking, listening, writing, reading comprehension). Change schools – Still a student, still a minor. Would you be friends and regularly talk to minors in America? Graduate – Can’t say you CANNOT be friends, but consider the problems it could cause between your school, parents, teachers, media, JET, etc.
20 Breaking the Law Differences in laws and punishment“Like what? How bad could the punishments possible be?” Jett and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Illegal Day