Drones to the Rescue: Japanese Company Deploys Automated Alerts for Tsunamis and Earthquakes

Tested in Ichinomiya and Sendai, the system offers a faster, safer way to respond to tsunamis, earthquakes, and floods.

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb

This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.

After a record-breaking 8.8 magnitude earthquake off a remote Siberian peninsula sent communities across the Pacific into a panic, experts renewed calls for new ways to ensure information and warnings can be disseminated quickly enough to save lives. Towards this end, Japanese company Blue Innovation has launched a new disaster warning system (the BEP Port Disaster Prevention System), aiming to help Japanese port towns and coastal areas improve their response to natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, and heavy rain.

How Does the BEP Port Disaster Prevention System Work?

When a disaster warning, such as a tsunami alert, is received through the country’s existing central emergency broadcast network (known as J-Alert), a drone automatically takes off from a special launch site called a drone port. This drone flies over the coastline, broadcasting evacuation messages through loudspeakers and recording videos of the affected area.

This system does not need human operators during emergencies, making the response faster and safer for everyone involved.

Why Is This System Important?

Natural disasters are common in Japan, and rural coastal towns often struggle with quickly communicating evacuation orders and checking on hard-to-reach areas, especially when there are not enough workers or when roads are blocked.

The BEP Port Disaster Prevention System tries to solve these problems by:

• Sending automatic evacuation notices from the sky
• Capturing real-time video of disaster areas
• Reducing the need for town workers to enter dangerous areas

The system is designed to operate without expert assistance via a bundled app.

Real-World Use of Disaster Warning System in Japanese Towns

The system has already been put to the test in two places:

• Ichinomiya Town, Chiba Prefecture: This popular surfing destination now has drones ready to fly instantly from their drone ports if a tsunami warning is issued. The drones alert surfers, tourists, and residents along the town’s long coastline and send live images to local authorities.
• Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture: Since 2022, Sendai has used this system as extra backup for traditional warning methods, especially to help prevent another tragedy like the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Future Goals

Blue Innovation hopes the BEP Port Disaster Prevention System will become standard across Japan—especially in rural and aging communities that have fewer people available in emergencies. The company says this technology isn’t just useful for tsunamis, but can also help during floods, earthquakes, forest fires, and volcano eruptions.

This high-tech warning system promises safer and quicker emergency responses, using the power of drones rather than relying only on people.

Read more:

• Japan’s Military Teams Up with Drone Industry for Disaster Response Training
• Drones Go Underground: Japan’s Toda Construction Uses UAVs to Inspect Tunnel Faces
• Toyota Group Tests Level 4 Drone Deliveries to Remote Japanese Islands