Possible mass and long distance ferry transportation for health and humanitarian logistics at a disaster scene

During the east Japan great earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11, 2011, long distance ferry engaging in the coastal linking of east Japan area demonstrated their high seaworthiness against the tsunami waves. For the initial response operations for saving affected people's life and maintaining their health and humanity, the ferry also committed the emergency relief logistics (ERL) by transporting personnel, vehicles and heavy equipment of search and rescue parties which were deployed to the disaster site. This paper reviews ERL activities undertaken by the ferry at the time of Great East Japan Earthquake, and identifies the strength and weakness of the ferry in the context of ERL operations. Policy implications for further mobilizing ferry to cope with the possible large scale disaster in future are discussed and concluded based on a numerical model simulation.