It looks like an Area Mail alert that will make everyone’s phones ring at once will be sent across all of Nishinomiya City tomorrow, Thursday, November 5.
Here it is↓
目次
Schedule for the 2020 Hyogo Prefecture Tsunami Evacuation Drill
10:00 a.m. Emergency Earthquake Warning (citywide)
Distributed via “Nishinomiya Disaster Prevention Net,” “disaster prevention speakers,” and “emergency alert radio”
- A rising chime will announce the drill broadcast
- The Emergency Earthquake Warning chime will play, followed by the Emergency Earthquake Warning broadcast (3 times in total)
- Descending chime
10:02 a.m. Major Tsunami Warning (citywide)
Distributed via “Emergency Alert Mail (Area Mail)”, “Nishinomiya Disaster Prevention Net,” “disaster prevention speakers,” and “emergency alert radio”
- A rising chime will announce the drill broadcast
- A major tsunami siren will play, followed by the Major Tsunami Warning broadcast (3 times in total)
- A descending chime will announce the end of the broadcast
By the way, last year’s drill also started at 10:00 a.m. This time as well, the Area Mail alert is apparently set to sound at 10:02 a.m.
One thing to note is that it will sound even if your phone is on silent mode. If you absolutely don’t want it to ring, turn off your phone.
The purpose of this drill seems to be to encourage people to take safety actions through what’s called a ShakeOut drill.
Specifically, something like this↓
(Captured from the Nishinomiya City News issue dated October 25, 2020)
If you’re in an environment where you can do it now, please try it right away. It’s the kind of action people surprisingly tend to forget.
Emergency Alert Radios Are Cheap, So This Is a Good Opportunity
An “emergency alert radio” is a device that automatically turns on even when the power is off, letting you hear emergency broadcasts at maximum volume.
Thanks to a subsidy from Nishinomiya City, the price has become extremely cheap at 2,200 yen. (It used to be 4,320 yen.)
A well-known place to buy one is Joshin stores in the city. For details on other stores that sell them, please see “About Emergency Alert Radios (Nishinomiya City).”
Finally
That scary-sounding alert tone will go off all at once, so it might cause a bit of panic if you’re on a train or somewhere similar. If you’ll be in a crowded place at 10:00 a.m., please be aware.
It’s at 10:00 a.m. on the 5th. Please try the ShakeOut drill too.
