Households’ Risk Perception and Behavioral Responses to Natech Accidents

Abstract

This study analyzes data on households’ risk perception and protective behavior following a natural disaster triggered technological accident (Natech accident) that occurred at an industrial park in Sendai during the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, on 11 March 2011. The results indicate that some households carried out multiple evacuations and that households’ risk perceptions changed throughout the Natech accident evacuation process. Risk perception differed according to household location and demographic characteristics. We also found differences in the protective measures adopted for households in different locations. Specifically, those living closer to the Natech accident tended to evacuate immediately, whereas those living further away tended to shelter in place. Wind direction is discussed as a factor that influences households’ risk perception and evacuation response to a Natech accident. The findings of this study advance knowledge of household behavior in response to a Natech accident and can assist emergency managers in developing strategies for better management of evacuation processes.

Keywords

Evacuation behavior / Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami / Natech accidents / Protective actions / Risk perception

References

[1] Baker EJ. Hurricane evacuation behavior. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 1991, 9(2): 287-310.

[2] Bateman JM, Edwards B. Gender and evacuation: A closer look at why women are more likely to evacuate for hurricanes. Natural Hazards Review, 2002, 3(3): 107-117

[3] Cozzani V, Campedel M, Renni E, Krausmann E. Industrial accidents triggered by flood events: Analysis of past accidents. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2010, 175(1–3): 501-509

[4] Cruz AM, Krausmann E. Damage to offshore oil and gas facilities following hurricanes Katrina and Rita: An overview. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 2008, 21(6): 620-626

[5] Dash N, Gladwin H. Evacuation decision making and behavioral responses: Individual and household. Natural Hazards Review, 2007, 8(3): 69-77

[6] Fitzpatrick C, Mileti DS. Motivating public evacuation. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 1991, 9(2): 137-152.

[7] Huang S-K, Lindell MK, Prater CS, Wu H-C, Siebeneck LK. Household evacuation decision making in response to Hurricane Ike. Natural Hazards Review, 2012, 13(4): 283-296

[8] JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency). 2014. Web site. http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/10min_a1.php?prec_no=34&block_no=1030&year=2011&month=3&day=11&view. Accessed 11 Aug 2014 (in Japanese).

[9] Kellens W, Zaalberg R, Neutens T, Vanneuville W, De Maeyer P. An analysis of the public perception of flood risk on the Belgian coast. Risk Analysis, 2011, 31(7): 1055-1068

[10] Krausmann E, Baranzini D. Natech risk reduction in the European Union. Journal of Risk Research, 2012, 15(8): 1027-1047

[11] Krausmann E, Cruz AM. Impact of the 11 March 2011, Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami on the chemical industry. Natural Hazards, 2013, 67(2): 811-828

[12] Krausmann E, Renni E, Campedel M, Cozzani V. Industrial accidents triggered by earthquakes, floods and lightning: Lessons learned from a database analysis. Natural Hazards, 2011, 59(1): 285-300

[13] Lin C-C, Siebeneck LK, Lindell MK, Prater CS, Wu H-C, Huang S-K. Evacuees’ information sources and reentry decision making in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Natural hazards, 2014, 70(1): 865-882

[14] Lindell MK. Clayton SD. Response to environmental disasters. The Oxford handbook of environmental and conservation psychology, 2012, New York: Oxford University Press 391-413.

[15] Lindell MK. Joffe H, Rossetto T, Adams J. North American cities at risk: Household responses to environmental hazards. Cities at risk: Living with perils in the 21th century, 2013, Dordrecht: Springer 109-130

[16] Lindell MK, Earle TC. How close is close enough: Public perceptions of the risks of industrial facilities. Risk Analysis, 1983, 3(4): 245-253

[17] Lindell MK, Perry RW. Hazardous materials releases in the Northridge earthquake: Implications for seismic risk assessment. Risk Analysis, 1997, 17(2): 147-156

[18] Lindell MK, Perry RW. Household adjustment to earthquake hazard a review of research. Environment and Behavior, 2000, 32(4): 461-501

[19] Lindell MK, Prater CS. Communicating environmental risk in multiethnic communities, 2004, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

[20] Lindell MK, Prater CS. The protective action decision model: Theoretical modifications and additional evidence. Risk Analysis, 2012, 32(4): 616-632

[21] Lindell MK, Lu JC, Prater CS. Household decision making and evacuation in response to Hurricane Lili. Natural Hazard Review, 2005, 6(4): 171-179

[22] Lindell MK, Prater CS, Gregg CE, Apatu EJ, Huang S-K, Wu HC. Households’ immediate responses to the 2009 American Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015, 12: 328-340

[23] Luathep P, Suwansunthon A, Sutthiphan S, Taneerananon P. Flood evacuation behavior analysis in urban areas. Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 2013, 10: 178-195.

[24] Mileti DS, O’Brien PW. Warnings during disaster: Normalizing communicated risk. Social Problems, 1992, 39(1): 40-57

[25] Mileti DS, Peek L. The social psychology of public response to warnings of a nuclear power plant accident. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2000, 75(2–3): 181-194

[26] Mimura N, Yasuhara K, Kawagoe S, Yokoki H, Kazama S. Damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami - A quick report. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 2011, 16(7): 803-818

[27] Mitchell, J.T., A.S. Edmonds, S.L. Cutter, M.C. Schmidtlein, R.L. McCarn, M.E. Hodgson, and S. Duhé. 2005. Evacuation behavior in response to the Graniteville, South Carolina, Chlorine Spill. Quick Response Research Report 178, University of Sourth Carolina.

[28] MLITT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). 2014. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster survey results (first report). http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/000162533.pdf. Accessed 10 Oct 2014 (in Japanese).

[29] Nishi, H. 2012. Damage of hazmat facilities due to fires and tsunami. Proceeding of the international symposium on engineering lessons learnt from the Great East Japan Earthquake, 1–2 March 2012, 2011, Japan: Tokyo

[30] NPA (National Police Agency). 2014. Damage situation and police measures of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. https://www.npa.go.jp/archive/keibi/biki/higaijokyo.pdf. Accessed 20 Dec 2014 (in Japanese).

[31] Peacock WG, Brody SD, Highfield W. Hurricane risk perceptions among Florida’s single family homeowners. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2005, 73(2–3): 120-135

[32] Riad JK, Norris FH, Ruback RB. Predicting evacuation in two major disasters: Risk perception, social influence, and access to Resources. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1999, 29(5): 918-934

[33] Sengul H, Santella N, Steinberg LJ, Cruz AM. Analysis of hazardous material releases due to natural hazards in the United States. Disasters, 2012, 36(4): 723-743

[34] Shichigahama. 2012. The documentary of Schichigahama town during the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. https://www.shichigahama.com/benricho/joho/d89-010.html. Accessed 26 Apr 2016 (in Japanese).

[35] Showalter, P.S., and M.F. Myers. 1992. Natural disasters as the cause of technological emergencies: A review of the decade, 1980–1989. Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado.

[36] Siebeneck LK, Cova TJ. Spatial and temporal variation in evacuee risk perception throughout the evacuation and return-entry process. Risk Analysis, 2012, 32(9): 1468-1480

[37] Solis, D., M. Thomas, and D. Letson. 2009. Determinants of household hurricane evacuation choice in Florida. Presentation at the Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, 31 January–3 February 2009, Atlanta, Georgia.

[38] Sorensen JH. When shall we leave? Factors affecting the timing of evacuation departures. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 1991, 9(2): 153-165.

[39] Sorensen JH. Hazard warning systems: Review of 20 years of process. Natural Hazard Review, 2000, 1(2): 119-125

[40] Sorensen JH, Sorensen BV. Rodriguez H, Quarantelli E, Dynes R. Community process: Warning and evacuation. Handbook for disaster research, 2007, New York: Springer 183-199

[41] Steinberg LJ, Basolo V, Burby R, Levine JN, Maria Cruz A. Joint seismic and technological disasters: Possible impacts and community preparedness in an urban setting. Natural Hazards Review, 2004, 5(4): 159-169

[42] Steinberg LJ, Segul H, Cruz AM. Natech risk and management: An assessment of the state of the art. Natural Hazards, 2008, 46(2): 143-152

[43] Stern PC, Dietz T, Kalof L. Value orientations, gender, and environmental concern. Environment and Behavior, 1993, 25: 322-348

[44] Tagajo. 2012. The documentary of damages in Tagajo City caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. http://www.city.tagajo.miyagi.jp/saigai/book/_SWF_Window.html?pagecode=55. Accessed 16 Aug 2014 (in Japanese).

[45] Tierney KJ, Lindell MK, Perry RW. Facing the unexpected: Disaster preparedness and response in the United States, 2001, Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press

[46] USGS (U.S. Geological Survey). 2014. Historic world earthquake. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/historical_mag.php. Accessed 20 Dec 2014.

[47] Yamagochi, K. 2012. Fire-fighting activities of Sendai JX refinery in Tohoku Earthquake. Safety & Tomorrow 144: 9–15. http://www.khk-syoubou.or.jp/pdf/guide/magazine/144/…/144_9.pdf. Accessed 12 Mar 2016 (in Japanese).

[48] Zama, S., H. Nishi, K. Hatayama, M. Yamada, H. Yoshihara, and Y. Ogawa. 2012. On damage of oil storage tanks due to the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake (Mw9.0), Japan. In Proceedings of the 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE), 24–28 September, Lisbon, Portugal. http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/WCEE2012_0238.pdf. Accessed 15 Aug 2014.

[49] Zelinski W, Kisinski A. Emergency evacuation of cities, 1991, Savage, MD: Bowman & Littlefield