A study on hypothermia and associated countermeasures in tsunami disasters: A case study of Miyagi Prefecture during the 2011 great East Japan earthquake

Abstract

In this study, the impact of hypothermia during tsunami disasters based on casualty data from Miyagi Prefecture during the Great East Japan Earthquake was analyzed. The spatial distribution of the locations in which the corpses of hypothermia victims were found and the effects of age group, location, environmental temperature, and tsunami exposure were examined at the municipal and postal code scales. Hypothermia victims were identified only in coastal areas, indicating an increased risk of hypothermia due to wetting of the body caused by exposure to tsunami water and a cold environment at the evacuation centers. The proportion of older (>70 years) individuals among the hypothermia victims was significantly higher (p > 0.05) compared to the victims of drowning. Based on the findings of this study, a response checklist in evacuation centers and a modified government response flowchart are proposed, assuming response by nonmedical personnel to reduce the risk of hypothermia after a disaster.