The Influence of Residents’ Resilience on the Recovery in the Torrential Rain in Western Japan in 2018

Abstract

In 2018 torrential rain caused serious human suffering and damage to property in western Japan. Following such disasters, the investigation of residents' subsequent recovery process is important to determine the support required in affected areas and disaster risk management. This study examines the effects of psychological resilience on residents' life recovery following the torrential rain. We conducted a web survey with 1,000 residents in 13 districts of Hiroshima prefecture and 6 districts of Okayama prefecture that suffered the most damage caused by the torrential rain. The survey used the "recovery calendar" approach to assess residents' life recovery from the disaster. Results indicated that residents who had suffered relatively little damage began to recover during the "disaster utopia" phase up to 2 months after the disaster. However, residents who had suffered serious damage began to recover during the "reentry to everyday life" phase up to 6 months after the disaster. Moreover, older residents or residents with strong psychological resilience who suffered serious damage were likely to recover sooner than those with weaker psychological resilience. Therefore, this study indicates the importance of an approach to disaster recovery according to the level of damage, phased time period, and psychological resilience.