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Characteristics of Flood Fatalities in Japan’s Typhoon Hagibis in 2019: Secondary Analysis of Public Data and Media Reports

Part of: Floods collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2021

Izumi Yoshida ,
Akihiko Ozaki ,
Tomohiro Morita ,
Masaharu Tsubokura  and
Masahiro Kami
Izumi Yoshida
Affiliation:
Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Akihiko Ozaki*
Affiliation:
Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma City, Fukushima, Japan Department of Breast Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan
Tomohiro Morita
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Soma Central Hospital, Soma City, Fukushima, Japan
Masaharu Tsubokura
Affiliation:
Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma City, Fukushima, Japan Department of Internal Medicine, Soma Central Hospital, Soma City, Fukushima, Japan Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, Japan
Masahiro Kami
Affiliation:
Medical Governance Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
*
Corresponding Author: Akihiko Ozaki, Email: aozaki-tky@umin.ac.jp.
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Abstract

Objective:

Typhoon Hagibis struck Japan on October 12, 2019. This study documents and characterizes deaths caused by Hagibis and helps identify strategies to reduce mortality in future disasters.

Methods:

Japanese residents, who were killed by Typhoon Hagibis, as reported by Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, were considered for the study. Details were collected from mainstream Japanese media, and flooding data from hazard maps published by local municipalities.

Results:

Out of the 99 total fatalities, 65 (73.0%) were aged 65 years or above. Among those who drowned indoors (20), 18 (90.0%) lived in high-risk areas of flooding, and their bodies were found on the first floor of their residences. A total of 10 (55.6%) out of the 18 fatalities lived in homes with 2 or more floors, indicating that they could have moved upstairs to avoid the floodwater. However, 6 (33.3%) could not do so due to existing health issues.

Conclusions:

Relatively elderly people, particularly those in areas at high risk of flooding, were most affected. Seeking higher ground is a standard safety measure in times of flooding, but this may not be possible for everyone depending on their health status, structure of their residence, and the depth of floodwaters.

Keywords

floodstemporary shelterelderly agedaged 80 and overvulnerable populations
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , August 2022 , pp. 1512 - 1516
Copyright
© Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2021

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