No.48 Support for Flood Damage Due to the Kinu River Embankment Breach

(Inagi Newsletter, November 15, 2015 issue)

This year's Typhoon No. 18 brought record-breaking heavy rain. In Inagi City, on September 9, 2015, in response to the announcement of landslide disaster warning information, the Disaster Response Headquarters was established at 3:16 PM to begin preparations. There was no significant direct damage, and by 5:35 PM on the same day, the information gathering system was scaled down.
Although Typhoon No. 18 transformed into an extratropical cyclone after making landfall on the Japanese archipelago, the influence of Typhoon No. 17, which lingered over the Pacific Ocean, caused moist air to flow in from the south even after it passed, resulting in a band of rain clouds stagnating from northern Kanto to southern Tohoku, leading to record rainfall. Many locations updated their all-time records, and the Japan Meteorological Agency named it the "September 2015 Kanto-Tohoku Heavy Rainfall."
While our city was relieved to have no damage, the heavy rain continued into the next day, and shortly after 8 AM on the 10th, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications requested the preparation for the dispatch of emergency fire assistance teams to neighboring prefectures.
The fire departments established in Tokyo include the Tokyo Fire Department and the Inagi City Fire Department, and in the event of a disaster, Inagi City will also participate as a member of the Tokyo team of the emergency fire assistance teams.

On the 10th, shortly after 9 PM, an actual dispatch request was made, and team members were summoned. They departed for the Ibaraki Prefecture Toride Green Sports Center, the assembly point, at 1:20 AM on the 11th to support the city of Joso, which suffered flooding due to the breach of the Kinugawa River levee.
The first dispatch team consisted of a firefighting squad (1 pump truck) with 5 members, an ambulance squad (1 ambulance) with 3 members, and a support squad (1 large bus) with 3 members, and they conducted activities for three days until the 13th. The Inagi team achieved 50 rescues and transported 4 critically ill patients. The flooded area is said to cover one-third of the city, and the rubber boat they brought was put to good use.
The first dispatch team operated for the initial three days without sufficient rest and was then replaced by the second dispatch team. In the second dispatch, in addition to rescue activities, they were instructed to conduct safety checks and search for missing persons, engaging in 186 search activities over four days until the 16th.
Through the dispatch of a total of 5 teams and 18 members, we were able to contribute to the city of Joso, and it is very gratifying that all team members returned safely.
In this flooding disaster in Joso City, I have heard that there were issues regarding coordination between the city's disaster response headquarters, the Inagi City Fire Department, the prefecture, the police, and the Self-Defense Forces, as well as the sharing of personal information of affected residents.
In our city, we will implement more practical disaster prevention training to utilize the lessons learned from actual disaster dispatches when our local area is affected, while also enjoying the benefits of operating the fire department independently and striving for coordination with Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the police, and the Self-Defense Forces during disasters.