ASUKA MAEBAYASHI

Hazard maps are important disaster information that inform residents of local hazards and evacuation locations, so misinterpretation can be a serious problem. In this study, we investigated 1,741 flood hazard maps nationwide from the perspective of design, focusing on the representation of flood depth and evacuation sites. We then conducted an experiment to clarify which representation is the least likely to be mistaken. As a result, blue gradation gave the strongest impression of flooding, and the order of flood depth was most accurately represented when it was expressed using a single blue gradation. Evacuation locations were represented with JIS marks, and other point representations were represented with symbols, resulting in the highest rate of correct answers.