Simple Estimation Method for the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake’s Direct Damage Amount

Abstract

It takes a significantly long time to estimate a direct damage amount based on a damage investigation. However, in the response immediately after a disaster, the investigation and estimation of damage are often conducted later because of a lack of human resources. Especially in the case of a huge earthquake that affects a wide area, the disaster cannot be fully responded to by the municipalities and prefectures alone. Support from the entire country, and in some cases from other countries, is essential to the disaster response. Precise information regarding the direct damage amount must be transmitted promptly. Accordingly, in this study a simple method to promptly estimate the direct damage amount caused by an earthquake disaster is proposed and applied to the case of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake.