Village where everyone evacuated by helicopter: ``I want to go back right away'' [Voices from the disaster area] February 7th, 17:26
The long-awaited news that the road was now passable
arrived at the end of January.
It's been more than two weeks since we escaped by helicopter from the village of Wajima City, which was isolated by the earthquake.
The mayors of the ward who had evacuated outside the city were returning for the first time, and I accompanied them.
We asked the ward chief about what the village was like at that time and what his hopes are now.
Please send us information about the situation in the disaster area here.
(The following is the story of Kazuyoshi Sumiyoshi, Mayor of Kamiyama-cho, Wajima City)
January 1st 44 people spent the night at the agricultural house
Eight of my relatives were gathered at my home when the strong earthquake hit.
Immediately, I laid down under the table.
When the shaking stopped, everyone ran. It's in a plaza with no buildings or anything. The people of the village were gathered there.
There are usually about 20 people living in the village, but with people returning for the New Year and people from nearby villages, there were 44 people in total.
Where will this number of people spend their time as the weather gets colder at night?
People in the area worked together to wrap a small agricultural house in blue tarpaulin and bring in a wood-burning stove to keep it warm.
Some people slept in their cars, while others stayed awake.
~January 4th Road closure, communication disruption
For the next three or four days, I was completely absorbed. Roads were cut off and villages were isolated.
Even if they were to evacuate, there were no official evacuation centers nearby and they would have to go towards the town of Wajima. I'm not really in a position to do that.
Fortunately, it was New Year's Day, so local people were able to bring food. And we were able to use mountain water for drinking water.
However, communication with the outside world had been cut off. There is no connection to the city's disaster prevention staff. I was worried because I wasn't getting any information.
January 4th - “Escape” by climbing the cliff
On the 4th, people from the Self-Defense Forces came and installed a satellite phone. That made me feel a lot better.
However, the roads remain in poor condition, and in some areas people can't even walk.
Around this time, some people who had returned home began to say, ``I really have to go out.''
People from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism repaired the road leading to Kaminoyama Town, and we were now close to it. There was just a little more to go, but the mountain collapsed while construction was underway, and heavy machinery was also caught up, almost hitting the road below.
Therefore, in order to get to the road where the car could come, we had to climb up a cliff about 20 meters high.
For those who still wanted to get out quickly, they lowered a rope from above, and once they were holding on to the rope, they pushed their butt up from below. So about 10 people managed to get out.
~17th Those who were left gradually...
Those who remained survived for a while relying on relief supplies delivered by the Self-Defense Forces, but with electricity and communications cut off, some began to fall ill with colds and other illnesses.
``Could you request a helicopter?''
I contacted the city's disaster prevention department, and they decided to transport two people, then two more. The first person was a person who was injured in the earthquake when he was hit in the chest.
We want people who are prone to illness to be transported as quickly as possible.
Even though I hoped so, there were times when I was told that the helicopter would not be able to fly today due to the weather. It was tough.
I asked my family to `
`cheer up'
' and ``persevere until the day the helicopter arrives .''
``I wonder if the night will end soon. I wonder if it will get brighter.''
That's all I could think about when I was over there.
It was about two weeks later, on the 17th, that I was able to move to the evacuation center.
(This is all about Kazuyoshi Sumiyoshi)
120 kilometers away, even the colors of “tiredness”
In Kaminoyama Town, everyone was evacuated, either by helicopter or by descending the mountain on their own.
Mr. Sumiyoshi evacuated to a gymnasium in Hakusan City, 120 kilometers by road from his hometown.
This is a wide-area evacuation center, where people from the isolated Seiho area of Wajima City, including Kaminoyama Town, are evacuating together.
According to Sumiyoshi, the environment at the evacuation center is relatively good.
・There is a space of 2 meters square per person
・Separated by curtains
・Cardboard beds
・Lunch boxes are provided for meals
・You can use nearby hot springs for free
・Washing machines are also installed
・Health consultations by public health nurses available
Mr. Sumiyoshi
: ``When I came here, first of all, it was bright and warm.Even though it was warm, I felt really safe, and I was saved.The food was delicious, and I was helped.''
However, about three weeks after the earthquake, some people at evacuation centers were infected with colds, the new coronavirus, and infectious gastroenteritis.
"He's probably getting tired," Sumiyoshi said.
Initially, people would gather in the lobby of the evacuation center and have conversations, but recently fewer people are coming out.
What will happen to my home and the village?
The first thing that Sumiyoshi and other people in the area were looking forward to was the restoration of the roads.
It was on the last day of January that I received information that the road was now passable.
That weekend, Sumiyoshi and his friends rent a car and head 120 kilometers away.
We decided to accompany him as well.
The road leading to the village was in difficult conditions, with one side falling due to the earthquake and there being some steps.
As I slowly walked down that road, I saw a "Road Closed" sign.
There was a police officer at the road stop and he stopped me.
When I checked, I found out that only local residents are allowed in from here on out.
Mr. Sumiyoshi's car has entered, but that's all for us.
After a while, I was able to talk to Mr. Sumiyoshi's son, Yukio, who had returned earlier.
Yukio: `
`The house is in an uninhabitable condition unless it is repaired, and electricity and communications are still cut off.In the current situation, it's difficult to go and clean up, so I can't do anything to help.My father is the mayor of the ward. I have a position, but I don't want you to overdo it."
Mr. Sumiyoshi said he would stay in the village that night to see what was going on at his home and village.
“The more I look at it, the more pathetic it becomes.”
The next day, Mr. Sumiyoshi showed up at the meeting place in a light truck.
He came out of the truck and immediately told me his story.
-Thank you for your hard work during this difficult time. how was it?
``At that time, I saw the damage caused by the earthquake in Wajima City on the news, but I had only seen the actual situation in Kaminoyama Town, my hometown, so this was my first time seeing Wajima City, and I realized that the situation was even worse than I had imagined. felt"
-How was it before you went to the village?
``The weather was nice yesterday, so it wasn't that scary, but if it rained, there were a lot of places where I thought there would be landslides or something like that.''
-What was the situation like in the village?
"There's no one around, so it's quiet. I've been working with road restoration workers and setting up cell phone parabolic antennas since yesterday, so I think I'll be able to use my cell phone soon. I've been asking when I'll be able to connect, but it's still a little too early. I was asked to be patient for a while."
We also talked about the situation at home.
-It's been two weeks since you've seen what's going on at home. How was it?
"The more I look at it, the more I feel... it's pathetic."
-What do you mean by "pathetic"?
“Well, I guess everyone is the same, but when I think about what lies ahead, I think it’s quite, um, quite difficult…”
-It's been a month now, how do you feel about this situation?
``I've never lived in an evacuation environment like this before, so like everyone else, I just want to go home as soon as possible.I hope the roads will be restored soon, the electricity will be on, and the water will be running.'' As soon as they come, I feel like I want to go home right away."
“Just a little further.”
Mr. Sumiyoshi, who returned to the evacuation center in Hakusan City, reportedly told the people who were evacuating with him about the situation in the village.
Some people told me on the phone that they wanted to go home right away, and said, ``I can see a little bit more ahead.''
It will take more than three hours one way to get from the gymnasium where they have been evacuated to the village, but they plan to return to the village from time to time to prepare for recovery.
In the wake of this earthquake, there are many people living as evacuees in faraway places, thinking about their hometowns that they cannot return to.
We will continue to cover the village of Ueyama in the future.
(Shinya Fujishima, Noto Peninsula Earthquake Reporting Team)
*The interview with Mr. Sumiyoshi was triggered by information he received on NHK's News Post. Please click below to send us information regarding the situation in the disaster area.
news post
Please send us information about the current situation in the disaster-stricken areas, such as what you are missing during your evacuation life, concerns about your health, and concerns about rebuilding your life.
Click here for an article that summarizes "voices from the disaster area," including those affected by the disaster and those providing support.
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