Helping ourselves during unprecedented rain in Chiba

Yesterday evening, with the skies darkening and rain beginning to fall, I went out on my errands. There were some thunderstorms, so I put on some rain-resistant shoes rather than sneakers, packed an umbrella, and went forth.

The storm conditions escalated fast, and I managed to get home as the NERV app sent a notification that my city, Noda, was under a Level 3 warning. As the storm raged overnight, more and more notifications arrived. The storms got worse and worse, and eventually hit a Level 5 alert. Even at Level 4, Urgent Warning, you need to evacuate. Level 5 is a last-ditch emergency alert to tell you that you should have already evacuated. This event was the first time Level 5 rain and landslide warnings were sent since the new disaster alert warning level system launched this year.

The NERV notifications were fast and accurate. The app, free to download, sources its information directly from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The platform machine-translates the incoming alerts. 

A screen cap of the live NHK emergency broadcast 

Last night, alerts and info came thick and fast in both languages. A startling term I learned is 記録的短時間大雨情報, kirokuteki tanjikan oame koho, record-breaking heavy rainfall. Noda City, where I live, had some flooding and damage. The central part of the prefecture was hit hard, with eight killed and extensive flooding.

Genkidesu asked if you know what to do in a disaster. From watching the chatter on social media last night, a lot of foreign residents don't know what's going on or which information channels have current information.

There are helpers out there! One I keep an eye on is the subreddit r/japanweather. The prolific poster Neko_Dash provides detailed and easy-to-understand weather analysis.

Another Chiba Prefecture-specific channel is the Facebook group Foreigners In Chiba / 千葉県在住の外国人たち, with mods posting detailed information about municipalities.

While on storm watch with fellow Chiba residents, I also checked municipal websites for evacuation shelters, hazard maps, and power outages. Many provide social media broadcast info and email alerts. Along with your bug-out bag, bookmarking and subscribing to municipal resources are steps you can take to prepare your household for emergencies.

In your region, are there grassroots networks to provide information for disaster preparation?