When you gotta go, you gotta go, and if you’re the victim of a 7.3-magnitude temblor that rocks Tokyo, you could be out of luck.
A recent study by Japan’s disaster prevention panel estimated that within hours of a major earthquake more than 800,000 people would be in need of a bathroom and unable to find one, according to an Associated Press report. The estimate was based on a scenario in which Tokyo’s 12 million-person workforce would attempt to walk home following a quake. After factoring needed bathroom breaks every two hours and estimating about half of public restrooms would be functioning, the simulation projected some earthquake victims would go 17 hours without finding usable facilities.
Although unconventional, Japanese officials said a focus on providing bathrooms during disasters could stanch “unnecessary panic” caused by limited toilet access, according to the report. The panel has recommended the city do more to ensure available restrooms after a quake.
Jolie Breeden is the lead editor and science communicator for Natural Hazards Center publications. She writes and edits for Research Counts; the Quick Response, Mitigation Matters, Public Health, and Weather Ready Research Award report series; as well as for special projects and publications. Breeden graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.