Latest news with #disasterwarning
NHK
5 days ago
- Climate
- NHK
More than 1,800 tremors hit Japan's Tokara island chain since June 21
Authorities are warning of more earthquakes around the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. More than 1,800 tremors perceptible to humans have hit the region in recent weeks. The Meteorological Agency urges people to stay cautious for quakes measuring up to about lower 6 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 for the time being. Officials in Toshima Village are considering when 64 residents who evacuated can return to their homes on the islands of Akuseki-jima and Kodakara-jima. They plan to make a decision as early as July 17, if no earthquakes with an intensity of at least 4 occur for five consecutive days. The officials have sent nurses to support more than 60 people who remain on the two islands. A powerful quake measuring lower 6 on Japan's intensity scale hit Akuseki-jima on July 3. It's the largest since the heightened seismic activity began on June 21. As of 5 p.m. on Friday, there have been 1,861 quakes with an intensity of at least 1. The daily figure dipped on Wednesday and Thursday. The region experienced multiple quakes in 2021 and 2023, but there have been far more in the latest sequence.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
What is ‘alert fatigue' and how is it causing a big problem in getting people to leave ahead of a disaster?
At least 121 people are dead and more than 170 are missing in central Texas after the Guadalupe River swelled early Friday, causing destructive flash flooding throughout Kerr County. There were were many flash flooding warnings in Kerr County, at the start of the July 4 weekend, but those alerts didn't reach some of the campers and residents who didn't have cellphone service, who had silenced notifications, or who didn't have their phones with them. Emergency alerts are sent out by a number of agencies on various platforms; but they often do not reach those in danger. Excessive warnings can also cause alert fatigue, leading some to turn off notifications and increase their risk during emergencies. Flash flooding events can be difficult to predict and broad warnings may be ignored if the dangerous conditions aren't clearly communicated. The responsibility for alerting the public to potential danger is shared among federal, state, and local authorities. Even amid technological progress, the patchwork of digital and physical emergency-alert tools may not always be enough. Outdoor sirens came under consideration in Kerr County but weren't constructed. Emergency alerts can come from a wide array of platforms, such as texts, push alerts, social media, and sirens. Via the Emergency Alert System, federal and local authorities can send warnings to TV and radio stations. The Wireless Emergency Alerts system warns cellphone users based on their location. Residents can also sign up for warnings from local authorities sent via apps, email, or text. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency 's online alert system has streamlined the process for local authorities to reach residents, experts note that some rural officials often don't have access to the funding, expertise, or permission from state authorities to get their own alerts to broadcasters and cellphones. 'A lot of places are afraid to push that button,' the vice president of public safety at the software provider Everbridge told The Wall Street Journal. U.S. authorities have warned that too many messages about possible dangers can prompt some cellphone users to turn off their notifications if they become annoying or irrelevant. Warnings for floods, fires, missing children, and more have prompted some users to experience alert fatigue. A research and development report from last year found that cellphone users in Texas were among those who opted not to receive emergency alerts at the highest rate, with almost 30 percent choosing to turn off at least one kind of alert. Researchers partly blamed exhaustion from the sheer number of alerts in the state. The Federal Communications Commission faced thousands of complaints after a warning about a man who allegedly shot a police chief in the Texas Panhandle went out before 5 a.m. In 2023, officials in Florida issued an apology after a test of a TV alert was transmitted to cellphones in the early morning hours, following a mistake by a staffer who had checked the wrong box. While the FCC is working on applying changes that would allow authorities to send muted or vibrate-only messages in less dangerous situations, such changes won't come to fruition until 2028. The director of water research centers at Columbia University and Arizona State University, Upmanu Lall, told The Journal that flash flooding is hard to foresee and warnings often cover broad areas. Some who receive several alerts but don't experience dangerous conditions may assume they're false alarms. The National Weather Service for Austin and San Antonio covers Kerr County. They issued more than a dozen flash flood warnings in the two months before the July 4 weekend, a Journal review of FEMA data showed. Kerr County is at the center of the tragedy following the Guadalupe River overflowing on Friday. Just in Kerr County, 96 people have been killed, including 36 children. At least 161 remain missing in the county.
NHK
6 days ago
- Climate
- NHK
Torrential downpours hit Tokyo and wide areas of Japan, extreme caution advised
The Japan Meteorological Agency says torrential downpours occurred on Thursday evening in the Kanto-Koshin region that includes Tokyo, the southern Tohoku region in the northeast and the Tokai region in central Japan. Radar analysis shows that 100 to 120 millimeters of rain likely fell in one hour in areas near Suginami, Shibuya and Nakano wards in Tokyo. Atmospheric conditions remain extremely unstable across Japan. Weather officials warn that bands of heavy rain clouds could form late on Thursday and sharply raise the danger of rain-triggered disasters. Officials are warning of flooding in low-lying areas as well as landslides.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan launches location-based SMS alerts to warn millions amid deadly monsoon floods
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a location-based SMS alert system to warn citizens in flood-prone areas of imminent weather threats, state media reported on Thursday, as the country grapples with deadly monsoon rains. The system, developed under the Disaster Early Warning System (DEW-3 – Monsoon), is a collaboration between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Jazz, Pakistan's largest digital telecom operator. It uses geo-fencing technology to deliver real-time alerts to millions of mobile users living in high-risk zones, enabling timely evacuations or precautionary action. The move comes as torrential rains continue to batter parts of Pakistan, with over 80 killed since the start of the monsoon season in June. Over 23 million Jazz subscribers live in areas identified by the NDMA as vulnerable to flooding and other climate-related disasters. 'This is a powerful demonstration of how public-private collaboration can leverage technology to protect lives and strengthen communities,' Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz, was quoted as saying in the APP statement. 'Our [Jazz] nationwide reach and location-based capabilities make us uniquely positioned to support NDMA in its mission to minimize disaster-related risks. As the monsoon season continues, this remains an ongoing effort aimed at reaching and protecting even more people in harm's way.' According to APP, the system sends out targeted SMS alerts using advanced geo-fencing techniques to people located directly within affected areas. These messages include clear, actionable instructions to help the public respond effectively to natural disasters. NDMA acknowledged the partnership with Jazz, 'which has enabled them to reach vulnerable populations quickly and effectively, using geo-fenced alerts to ensure no one is left uninformed in times of crisis,' APP reported. The partnership was formalized in March 2025 to enhance Pakistan's disaster preparedness using digital infrastructure. The system is designed to be scalable and responsive as weather patterns shift or new emergency zones emerge. NDMA officials say the alerts are part of a wider effort to modernize disaster response by integrating digital tools and expanding risk communication channels. The authority also disseminates information through the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert mobile app, social media, and mainstream news outlets. Pakistan has faced increasingly severe climate-related disasters in recent years, from catastrophic floods in 2022 to recurring heatwaves and droughts. The country ranks among the top ten nations most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index, underscoring the urgent need for improved early warning and resilience systems.
NHK
6 days ago
- Climate
- NHK
Downpours forecast for Tokyo and surrounding areas from Thursday afternoon
Japan's weather officials are warning of possible torrential downpours from late afternoon throughout the night on Thursday in the Kanto Koshin region which includes Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency says atmospheric conditions are likely to become extremely unstable due to a rain front. Officials say bands of heavy rain clouds could form over Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Chiba and Saitama prefectures, as well as Tokyo's 23 wards and the nearby Tama region, raising the dangers of rain-triggered disasters.
