Evacuation awareness and behavior in the event of a tsunami in an aging society: An experience from the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake

•Tsunami risk caused by Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in 2018.•Aging communities are vulnerable to the tsunami threat.•Information channel acts as an important role in disaster response.•Knowledge perception and preparedness positively affect evacuation behavior. Of all natural disasters, the dual catastrophe of earthquake and tsunami is one of the most dangerous, due to the suddenness and unpredictability of these events. Hokkaido, the biggest island situated to the north of Japan, has a lower frequency of earthquakes and tsunamis compared to other parts of the country. Nevertheless, the occurrence of the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in September 2018 raised important awareness in the local community of the tsunami threat. In this study we aim to examine the behavior in response to the potential of a tsunami in the city of Muroran, a community with an aging population. Our results highlight that the increase in age, homeownership, and living alone negatively impact the act and intention of evacuation. By contrast, collecting information, dwelling location, perceived seismic intensity, reserving tools and food, and post-earthquake action positively influences evacuation behavior. Remarkably, grasping news and age have the strongest impacts, while house location, shock intensity, preparedness of emergency tools, and post-earthquake actions respectively, have a medium effect on people's behavior. The lowest influence variables are homeownership status, food stocking, and living alone. These results not only contribute to the disaster prevention theory, but also support policymakers in risk management planning, as well as improve the safety of the community and environment.