Evacuation Behavior of Facilities for the Elderly in the Heavy Rain of July 2018

Abstract

The heavy rain disaster in July 2018 caused significant damages such as leaks and inundation above floor level at many facilities for the elderly. In the present study, we surveyed facilities for the elderly near Oda River, Okayama Prefecture, and those near Hiji River, Ehime Prefecture, to study the necessity of a facility-specific criterion to start evacuation on the basis of the characteristics of the facilities used by people who need care. The results of the survey indicated that evaluation information released by the local government might not ensure sufficient evacuation time. An example of a criterion to start evacuation based on the water level of a nearby river or the amount of dam discharge was shown as one of the ways that each facility voluntarily makes decisions on fast evacuation.