There were nine casualties caused by heavy snowstorms in Hokkaido on 2-3 March 2013.
In Yubetsu town, a father (58) was found dead. But his daughter (9) survived. The father held his daughter in his arms to protect her from coldness.
In Nakashibetsu town, four were dead. They died in a car because they stopped the car and could not go out because of the conditions. They tried to call acquaintances for help again and again. However, they could not get help during that time.
The Snow and Ice Research Center, NIED (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention), has launched a project to prevent snowstorm disasters after the disaster in Nakashibetsu. The project focused on the snowstorm prediction system not only for officers but also for local people. It is difficult to predict the storm because it happens with complex conditions, such as snow drift and storms. I needed to check not only the weather but also the land conditions.
An example of the use is that the school children stopped to go back home because the snow storm was predicted on their way home.
