Differences in Subjective Estimation of Risks and Assessment for the Modified Tsunami Warning System by the Japan Meteorological Agency Among University Students Located in Damaged and Non-Damaged Prefectures Around the Period of the 2011 off Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake

Abstract

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) released a new version of tsunami warning system using three qualitative expressions for tsunami height. Understanding disaster mitigation information requires adequate knowledge on disaster occurrence mechanisms and precise action in emergencies. We surveyed differences in understanding and assessing tsunami warning information among university students in two prefectures – one damaged by the 2011 off Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake and the other outside of the damage zone. Results revealed that those outside of the damage zone tended to estimate tsunami heights as higher than those inside the damage zone when reading qualitative tsunami heights in the JMA’s new tsunami warning version. They also tended to need more concrete, precise information to understand appropriate evacuation procedures provided by public institutions, including the JMA.