Using GIS to simulate tsunami evacuation guidance signs for the hearing impaired

The Nankai Trough in Japan has been identified as a geological feature that could cause extensive damage in the event of a major earthquake. In this study, we investigated the impact of effective guidance signs for hearing-impaired individuals requiring special care when escaping to a tsunami evacua...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2019-06, Vol.14 (6), p.e0217512-e0217512
Main Authors: Horiike, Ryo, Nakai, Hisao, Itatani, Tomoya, Shirai, Fumie, Konishi, Kaoru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Buildings
Civilian evacuation
Computer and Information Sciences
Disaster Planning - methods
Disaster Planning - standards
Disasters
Earth Sciences
Earthquake damage
Earthquakes
Economic aspects
Emergency preparedness
Engineering and Technology
Environmental aspects
Evacuation
Evacuation systems
Evacuations & rescues
Geographic Information Systems
Health sciences
Hearing loss
Humans
Internet
Japan
Location Directories and Signs
Medicine and Health Sciences
Natural disaster damage
Older people
People and Places
Persons With Hearing Impairments
Physical Sciences
Prevention
Route selection
Satellite navigation systems
Seismic activity
Seismic engineering
Simulation
Tsunamis
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Summary:The Nankai Trough in Japan has been identified as a geological feature that could cause extensive damage in the event of a major earthquake. In this study, we investigated the impact of effective guidance signs for hearing-impaired individuals requiring special care when escaping to a tsunami evacuation building (emergency evacuation location) using geographical information system (GIS) and viewshed analysis. We selected an area we considered would suffer severe damage following a major earthquake and tsunami; we identified difficulties in the provision of escape routes. Using GIS, we determined the time required for escape and tsunami arrival time if effective signs were installed; we undertook such analysis using the height data of buildings in the target area. With effectively installed guidance signs, the average required evacuation time was 36.88 minutes; without such signs (which is currently the case in the target area), the average time was 47.10 minutes: that would result in citizens getting caught by the tsunami. Installing effective guidance signs would allow hearing-impaired individuals to escape to an evacuation building before being hit by the tsunami.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0217512