Urgent Evacuation Alert for Over 520,000 Amid Nankai Trough Megaquake Threat

Residents in regions at risk of tsunami flooding are being advised to evacuate for one week following the announcement of a Megathrust Earthquake Alert, which was disclosed by the Cabinet Office on August 20. The alert is a response to the potential for a catastrophic megaquake in the Nankai Trough area, prompting preliminary evacuations for a significant number of people.

The government's assessment identified that around 520,000 citizens nationwide would require advanced evacuation as per a bulletin related to the Nankai Trough Earthquake. The bulletin categorizes alerts into three distinct levels, with the Megathrust Earthquake Alert representing the most severe warning, an alert that has not been previously issued.

According to the guidelines put forth by the Cabinet Office, the issuance of a Megathrust Earthquake Alert necessitates immediate evacuation recommendations for residents in tsunami-prone regions, especially those who may struggle with timely evacuations. A study conducted by the Cabinet Office from June to August covered 707 municipalities across Tokyo and 28 other designated prefectures, evaluating the need for enhanced disaster risk mitigation in anticipation of a potential megaquake.

Out of the surveyed municipalities, 130 have already established designated evacuation areas, with many having determined the number of residents who would need assistance in evacuating. The identified total includes more than half of the 520,000 individuals as elderly or disabled individuals requiring special support. This projected number surpasses the 470,000 evacuees recorded during the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

Although the Cabinet Office has been proactive in encouraging municipalities to identify essential evacuation zones, they have yet to compile a full count of all individuals needing to evacuate. Earlier reports indicated that more than 670,000 individuals live in areas where advance evacuation protocols would be necessary following a Megathrust Earthquake Alert, based on preliminary surveys from 139 municipalities throughout the country. In light of this data, the disaster management minister, Manabu Sakai, assured reporters that efforts would be made to diligently gather and verify information from local municipalities.