Preparing for Storm and Flood Damage
Is your house prepared for typhoons, heavy rain, and strong winds?
Check your house and surroundings.

Safety measures for outside of your home
■Balcony■Roof

Bring indoors potted plants, laundry poles, andother items at high risk of ﬂying oﬀ.

Make sure that there are no cracks, ﬂakes, gaps, turned-up pieces, ortorn-oﬀ pieces in roof tiles or corrugated iron sheets.

■Outer walls

Fix them if there are cracks in mortar walls orcorroded or loose sections in wooden walls.

■Rain guttersCheck for clogged leaves and sand,dislodged piping, peeling paint, anddecayed parts.

■Glass windows

Check for cracks on glass windows and for loose window
frames. Board them up from the outside to prepare for ﬂying
objects that are propelled by strong winds.

■Sliding shutters

Check for rattling or loose sliding
shutters.

■Walls and gate-pillars

Fix or strengthen cracked or damaged
areas.

Rainfall per hour (mm)Possible Condition and Damage

10 ～ 20mm

The sound of the rainfall makes it diﬃcult for conversations to be heard. Be careful even with this level of rain if it continues for a long period of time.

20 ～ 30mm

The downpour causes road gutters and sewage to overﬂow, small rivers to ﬂood, and small-scale slope failures to be induced.

30 ～ 50mm

Extremely heavy rain will fall. Residents in hazardous areas need to prepare to evacuate, as mountain and slope failures easily occur.

50 ～ 80mm

Rain falls in torrents, and water gushes out of maintenance holes. Mudslides and other disasters are likely to occur.

80 mm or more

The strength and the pressure of the rain may cause people to experience diﬃculty breathing.
There is a high possibility for a large-scale disaster to occur, and extreme caution is required.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency Website

Typhoons
There are about 26 typhoons on average per year around Japan, and Beppu City is also hit by several typhoons every year.
When typhoons approach or land, strong winds and heavy rainfall often cause serious damage.
Typhoons can be predicted to some extent in terms of their timing, size, and path. Please obtain the latest information andprepare your surroundings to minimize damage.
Wind blow intensity and damages
Average wind speed: (m/s)

Current strong wind area
Forecast circle

Current location

Expected conditions and damages

10～15mDiﬃcult to walk against the wind. Unable to hold an umbrella.

15～20m

Impossible to walk against the wind. Some may fall.

20～25m

You may fall unless holding on to something tightly.
Some roof tiles may ﬂy oﬀ.

25～30m

You cannot remain standing. It's dangerous
to be outdoors. Signs fall or ﬂy oﬀ. Trees begin to fall.

30m以上

Some roofs ﬂy oﬀ, and some houses collapse.
*Reference from the Japan Meteorological Agency

Disaster Victim Certiﬁcate (earthquake, storm, and ﬂood)* Fire damage certiﬁcates are issued by the Fire Control Division of the Fire Defense Headquarters.

A Disaster Victim Certiﬁcate is issued after an investigation of the damage caused by natural
disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and ﬂoods. Online application for issuance is
now available (My Number Card is required).
For applications and inquiries: Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Division ☎ 0977－21－2255
For more information↑Landslide disasters are disasters that include slope failures, mudslides, and landslides that are often caused by anearthquake or rainfall, aﬀecting the lives and property of residents.
Check hazardous locations and signs where landslide disasters may occur. If you feel that your safety is threatened,evacuate immediately.
【Slope Failure】

Steep slope loosens and suddenly collapses
due to heavy or prolonged rainfall. As it occurs
suddenly, evacuations tend to delay.

■Precursory Phenomena○ Water gushes out from the cliﬀ.
○ Cracks appear on the cliﬀ.
○ Small rocks fall.

【Mudslide】【Landslide】

Mudﬂows containing soil, stones, and trees
are swept downstream at once from a valley
or mountain stream. The ﬂow travels at highspeed with great destructive force.

The ground over a large area slowly moves
downstream. It may be slow-moving.
However, once it occurs, the damage can bevery severe.

■Precursory Phenomena■Precursory Phenomena○ Mountain makes a rumbling sound.
○ River level decreases even though
it's still raining.
○ River water becomes murky anddriftwood appears.

Preparing for Storm and Flood Damage○Gather the latest information on TV, radio, and the Internet.
○Do not go out of the house unnecessarily.
○Prepare emergency items to take with you, such as valuables, in case of evacuation.
○Prepare a ﬂashlight and portable radio in case of power outages.
○Prepare drinking water in case the water supply is disrupted.
○Where there is a risk of ﬂooding, move household goods, food, clothing, bed, andother household items to a higher area.
○The elderly, the sick, persons with disability, and others needing special care should evacuate early to a safe location.

8Localized torrential rain is heavy rainfall that occurs in one speciﬁc area for ashort period of time, and it is frequently observed toward the end of rainyseasons. Predicting their occurrence is relatively diﬃcult, for it occurs
suddenly over a small speciﬁc area. Severe damages are expected due toﬂooding of small-to-medium-sized rivers, landslide disasters, and otherdisasters. It's important to pay close attention to the weather forecast and to
take appropriate preventive measures, such as an early evacuation.
Rainfall Intensity and Damage

Landslide Disasters

Safety measures inside your home

Current storm area

Localized Torrential Rain

○ The ground may crack or collapse.
○ Water in streams and wells becomes murky.
○ Water gushes out from the slopes.

Landslide Disaster Hazard Areas
Designation of Landslide Disaster Special Hazard Areas (by Oita Prefecture)
Landslide Disaster Hazard Areas

Areas designated by the prefectural government as hazardous areas where landslide disasters could pose a danger to thehealth and life of residents.

Landslide Disaster Special Hazard Areas

Areas designated by the prefectural government as hazardous areas where landslide disasters can destroy or damage
buildings and could pose a danger to the health and life of residents. Permits are required for certain development
activities and structural regulations for buildings are enforced.

Early Evacuation and Daily Preparations○ Be familiar with your residential area on a daily basis and evacuate early to protect your life.
○ Be prepared for emergencies by checking nearby evacuation shelters and knowing safe evacuation routes.
*As a result of amendments to the Flood Control Act, it has become an obligation forfacilities with people requiring special care to prepare a safe evacuation plan.
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