### 1. Reponses to Natural Disasters

## (1) Natural Disasters and Police Activities

In 2009, there were 77 fatalities and missing persons, and 665 injured persons caused by such natural disasters as heavy rains, typhoons, earthquakes, strong winds and high tidal waves (as of April 30, 2010). The situation of major damage caused by natural disasters in 2005-2009 is shown in Table 4-5.

Table 4-5 Situation of Major Damage by Natural Disasters (2005-2009, as of April 30, 2009)

Year	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Category	45	58	30	51	77
Fatalities, Missing Persons (persons)	1,543	676	3,074	851	665
Injured Persons (persons)	5,335	2,304	9,946	256	1,466
Completely or Partially Destroyed Houses (houses)	1	0	0	0	0
Houses Washed away (houses)	26,113	15,850	11,819	35,650	25,803
Damaged Roads (locations)	2,253	1,197	1,573	1,509	2,359
collapsed Mountain Cliff (locations)	1,458	4,741	1,517	832	2,493

## 1 ) Heavy Rains and Typhoons

During 2009, there were torrential rains in the Chugoku region and the northern part of the Kyushu region in July 2009 and a total of 22 typhoons had formed. One of the typhoons struck Japan and seven typhoons, including Typhoon No.9 that caused major damage in August, approached Japan. These heavy rains and typhoons resulted in 74 deaths and two missing persons (as of 30 April 2010).

### a. Torrential Rains in the Chugoku Region and the Northern Part of the Kyushu Region in July 2009

On July 19-21, 2009, the activation of the Baiu rain front that extended from off the Sanin region through the Kinki region to the Tokai region brought localized downpours of rain on the northern part of the Kyushu region as well as the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Particularly in the Chugoku region, the total amount of rainfall during the three days exceeded 300 mm in some places. On July 24-26, the activation of the Baiu rain front extending from the northern part of the Kyushu region through the Sanin and Hokuriku regions to the Tohoku region brought localized ferocious rains, with the total amount of rainfall during the three days exceeding 600 mm in some places in the northern part of the Kyushu region. These torrential rains left 36 people dead and injured 62 people (as of April 30, 2010).

The relevant prefectural police organizations, including Yamaguchi Prefectural Police and Fukuoka Prefectural Police, set up Disaster Security Headquarters headed by the chief of the respective police organizations, and undertook such activities as the gathering of information on damage, rescue of afflicted people and searches for missing persons. The National Police Agency (NPA) and relevant regional police bureaus set up disaster security information offices and took necessary measures. At the request of the Public Safety Commission of Yamaguchi Prefecture in the wake of a large-scale sediment disaster in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Hiroshima, Okayama and Kagawa prefectural police mobilized Interprefectural Emergency Rescue Units of approximately 350 officers in total.

#### b. Typhoon No.9

Typhoon No.9, which turned from a tropical low pressure into a typhoon on August 9, 2009, and moved eastward to the south of Japan, brought downpours of rain from the Chugoku and Shikoku regions to the Tohoku region, with the total amount of rainfall between 3 p.m. August 8, and 3 p.m. 11 August exceeding 750 mm in some places. This tropical low pressure-turned typhoon left 25 people dead, two people missing and 24 people injured (as of April 30, 2010).

The relevant prefectural police organizations, including Yamaguchi Prefectural Police, set up Disaster Security Headquarters headed by the chief of the respective police organizations, and undertook such activities as the gathering of information on damage, rescue of afflicted people and searches for missing persons. The NPA and relevant regional police bureaus set up disaster security information offices and took necessary measures.

## 2 ) Earthquakes

At around 5:07 a.m. on August 11, 2009, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 occurred with its epicenter in Suruga Bay. This earthquake registered a 6-weak on the Japanese intensity scale (the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity) in Izu City, Yaizu City, Makinohara City and Omaezaki City of Shizuoka Prefecture. The earthquake led to one death and 319 injuries (as of April 30, 2010).

The relevant prefectural police organizations, including Shizuoka Prefectural Police, set up Disaster