Emergency Warning System
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| Type | Emergency broadcast |
|---|---|
| Country | |
First air date | August 30, 2013 |
| Availability | across Japan |
Emergency Warning System (Japanese: 特別警報) is a warning system founded by Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and launched on August 30, 2013. Emergency Warnings are issued to alert people to the significant likelihood of catastrophes in association with natural phenomena of extraordinary magnitude. Residents should take all measures possible to protect themselves in the event that an Emergency Warning is issued.[1]
JMA issues various warnings to alert people to possible catastrophes caused by extraordinary natural phenomena such as heavy rain, earthquakes, tsunami and storm surges. In addition to such warnings, advisories and other bulletins, JMA started issuing Emergency Warnings to alert people to the significant likelihood of catastrophes if phenomena are expected to be of a scale that will far exceed the warning criteria.[1]
Emergency Warnings are intended for extraordinary phenomena such as the major tsunami caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake by which 18,000 people were killed or left missing, the 1959 storm surge in Ise Bay caused by Typhoon Vera, by which more than 5,000 people were killed or left missing, and the 2011 heavy rain caused by Typhoon Talas, by which around 100 people were killed or left missing.[1]
The issuance of an Emergency Warning for an area indicates a level of exceptional risk of a magnitude observed only once every few decades. Residents should pay attention to their surroundings and relevant information such as municipal evacuation advisories and evacuations, and should take all steps necessary to protect life.[1]
