P5 News
Shonan Tax Office No. 182
November 2004
Niigata EarthquakeA series of powerful earthquakes, with the first one measuring a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, rocked northwestern Japan in quick succession October leaving at least 35 people dead and more than 2,000 injured in Niigata Prefecture. The quakes cut off electricity to nearly 300,000 homes, tore highways in half and toppled overpasses. I have a friend who is a licensed tax accountant-attorney and lives in Niigata prefecture. His homepage shows pictures how disaster is in Niigata. (http://www.tmc.nagaoka.niigata.jp/sonota12.htm)
The central, prefectural and city governments reinforced their disaster measures after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which resulted in the loss of more than 6,000 lives and displaced more than 300,000 people.
One of the major lessons learned from the Hanshin quake was the need to secure sufficient amounts of emergency rations. After the killer quake severed their lifelines and transportation networks, many local governments -- dependent on outside help -- found themselves unable to obtain enough food and drinking water.
