Use of Sediment Disaster Warning System and Response of Administrations and Residents in Kagoshima Prefecture during Typhoon No. 14 in 2005

A sediment disaster warning information system was established nationwide in September 2005. The system provides information to local governments for use in their disaster prevention and emergency evacuation activities. The system was used in Kagoshima for the first time in 2005 during Typhoon No.14. A survey was undertaken to see how the sediment disaster warnings were used by the self-governing bodies in Kagoshima Prefecture and the residents of the Kotani District, which suffered damage from a debris flow. The survey revealed that 40% of the self-governing bodies utilized the sediment disaster information provided by the system during the typhoon. The residents of the Kotani District heard the sediment disaster warnings but did not take refuge, preferring instead to act with caution