Looming Total Impact

Two weeks have passed, since the first major earthquake with 7^th degree shook Kumamoto. During this period of time, over 1,000 quakes with 1^st degree or higher frightened the people there. 49 people died and 1 college student is still missing. Over 13,000 houses were collapsed and a lot of other houses are in jeopardy of breaking down. About 40,000 people are in evacuation losing their sweet home.

Kumamoto prefectural government calculated that it would need ¥36 billion for building 2,100 temporary houses and for renting other 2,100 empty rooms to the evacuees. According to the survey of Kumamoto government, evaluation of “red,” which meant unsuitable for living, amounted to 8,400 houses, exceeding the result of Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake in 1995.

Maintenance of asylum is another problem. A number of evacuees are spending days in public facilities, such as schools, gymnasium, or meeting rooms. Material aids, such as breads, clothes, diapers or roll papers, are arriving at those asylums. However, there are so few public coordinators to control those goods that disorder of distribution brings confusion among the evacuees. It may cause quarreling among them or even crime like theft. Help of non-profitable organization is on the way.

Consecutive quake is the most typical element of this disaster in Kumamoto. People do not like to live in their houses, because they do not know when the houses will collapse over them while having dinner or sleeping. Those people sleep day or night in their car parking beside the house. Staying in a narrow space makes them suffering from economy class syndrome. Earthquake-related deaths, which are the victims of collateral damages of consecutive earthquakes, amounted to 16 in these two weeks. In the case of East Japan Great Earthquake, over three thousands of people died in five years.

Transportation is resuming. Bullet train between Fukuoka and Kagoshima restarted on Wednesday, after repeated safety tests. Highway network will be working soon. Transportation of people and goods is expected to accelerate reconstruction efforts. In the Golden Week starting on Friday, a lot of voluntary helping hands are arriving in Kumamoto for clearing debris of the broken houses or nursery services for elderly people.

Economy in Kumamoto is still ailing. Foreign travelers to Kumamoto have decreased after the earthquake occurred. A lot of cancels annoy hotels and other sightseeing spots. Factories are damaged by the quakes. There are growing demands to national government for additional measures for the devastated area.

Two weeks have passed, since the first major earthquake with 7^th degree shook Kumamoto. During this period of time, over 1,000 quakes with 1^st degree or higher frightened the people there. 49 people died and 1 college student is still missing. Over 13,000 houses were collapsed and a lot of other houses are in jeopardy of breaking down. About 40,000 people are in evacuation losing their sweet home.

Kumamoto prefectural government calculated that it would need ¥36 billion for building 2,100 temporary houses and for renting other 2,100 empty rooms to the evacuees. According to the survey of Kumamoto government, evaluation of “red,” which meant unsuitable for living, amounted to 8,400 houses, exceeding the result of Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake in 1995.

Maintenance of asylum is another problem. A number of evacuees are spending days in public facilities, such as schools, gymnasium, or meeting rooms. Material aids, such as breads, clothes, diapers or roll papers, are arriving at those asylums. However, there are so few public coordinators to control those goods that disorder of distribution brings confusion among the evacuees. It may cause quarreling among them or even crime like theft. Help of non-profitable organization is on the way.

Consecutive quake is the most typical element of this disaster in Kumamoto. People do not like to live in their houses, because they do not know when the houses will collapse over them while having dinner or sleeping. Those people sleep day or night in their car parking beside the house. Staying in a narrow space makes them suffering from economy class syndrome. Earthquake-related deaths, which are the victims of collateral damages of consecutive earthquakes, amounted to 16 in these two weeks. In the case of East Japan Great Earthquake, over three thousands of people died in five years.

Transportation is resuming. Bullet train between Fukuoka and Kagoshima restarted on Wednesday, after repeated safety tests. Highway network will be working soon. Transportation of people and goods is expected to accelerate reconstruction efforts. In the Golden Week starting on Friday, a lot of voluntary helping hands are arriving in Kumamoto for clearing debris of the broken houses or nursery services for elderly people.

Economy in Kumamoto is still ailing. Foreign travelers to Kumamoto have decreased after the earthquake occurred. A lot of cancels annoy hotels and other sightseeing spots. Factories are damaged by the quakes. There are growing demands to national government for additional measures for the devastated area.