Resident Evacuation and Municipal Response Following the Issuance of a Tsunami Warning Due to the Great Earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula on 30 July 2025: The Case of Kushiro City, Hokkaido

Abstract

This study examines the tsunami evacuation in Kushiro City, Hokkaido, as a case study to analyze resident evacuation behavior and municipal response triggered by a tsunami warning issued after a major earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula on 30 July 2025. This study examines the actions taken by the Kushiro City Office following the earthquake, including information dissemination and the opening of evacuation centers. Several issues were identified in the evacuation process and municipal response, including the need for more evacuation centers than originally anticipated and delays in issuing evacuation orders via the L-Alert system. Moreover, map-based visualization of resident evacuation behavior revealed that residents evacuated to areas far beyond the tsunami inundation zones specified in the tsunami warning. To encourage appropriate evacuation actions, effective approaches include providing disaster-prevention education utilizing Geographic Information System to enhance residents’ spatial awareness, alongside establishing improved systems so administrative disaster-prevention staff can focus exclusively on disaster response activities.