昨日午前中は札幌地方で「ことし最も強い雨」というアナウンスが流れていたとおり、西区山の手のわが家周辺でもまるでバケツをひっくり返したような大雨。山の手という地名のように比較的に「高台」に位置しているのですが、それでもわが家前の道路はやや「冠水」気味でした。
　早朝６時ころには「小雨」程度という天気予報アプリの指示だったので、１時間半ほど掛けて10,000歩ほどの散歩をしていました。途中では多少の小雨が断続する様子で、折り畳み傘でしのぎきって家に帰還した後、強烈な降雨に見舞われた次第。運の良さを感謝していましたが、驚くほどの降雨ぶりに目を白黒させておりました。
　先日の「千葉豪雨」のことが頭をよぎって、不安に駆られていました。ニュースでは上の写真のように自動車も若干、泳いでいるような状況。水没して動かなくなる恐怖の一歩手前。
　どうも地球規模の「気候変動」が人類社会の想定を超えるようなレベルで頻発する時代になってきた可能性が高い。ヨーロッパでの40度を超える異常高温の常態化。そして中国大陸への「台風上陸」の頻発。そして日本の地震や豪雨被害。
　災害にいつさらされてもおかしくない。危機感を持って「備え」を常時意識していかなければ。
　写真の下の図は、札幌市の「ハザードマップ」の一部分。水害の被害について「洪水」と「内水氾濫」との２つの概念が示されていた。洪水は一般的な河川の氾濫による被害ですが、先般の千葉県での被害などでは局所集中型の豪雨で、都市の下水道の対応能力を超えてしまって発生する水害とのこと。
　こうしたハザードマップをよく参照して、自分の住環境地域がどういう危険性を持った場所であるのか、しっかり認識することが大事だと思えます。
　ちなみにわが家の場合は、内水氾濫では30cm程度のものが想定され、また、近隣の河川（琴似発寒川）からは4-500mなので、洪水被害も想定される。
　こういう気候変動の時代には、いざというときに備えるこころの持ちようが大切なのでしょう。すぐ目の前に図書館があるということも大きかった人生の拠点選択でしたが、そういう愛着に加え水難災害の危険性に対しての防御意識も高めていきたいと思います。

●お知らせ
拙書「作家と住空間」幻冬舎から電子書籍で発刊
お求めはAmazonで。
https://amzn.asia/d/eUiv9yO

English version⬇

[Is This an Era When We Must Always Be Mentally Prepared for Climate Change?]
Torrential downpours. Frequent rainfall that overwhelms the capacity of sewer systems. We live in an era where we must recognize that such dangers are always looming. …

　Just as the weather report had announced yesterday morning that the Sapporo area was experiencing “the heaviest rain of the year,” it poured like someone had turned over a bucket right around my house in Yamanote, Nishi Ward. Although the area is located on relatively “high ground,” as the name “Yamanote” suggests, the road in front of my house was still slightly “flooded.”
　Around 6:00 a.m., my weather app had indicated only “light rain,” so I went for a walk that took about an hour and a half and covered roughly 10,000 steps. Along the way, there were intermittent light showers, but I managed to get by with my folding umbrella. After returning home, I was hit by the intense downpour. I was grateful for my good luck, but I was completely stunned by the astonishing amount of rain.
　The recent “Chiba torrential rains” flashed through my mind, and I was overcome with anxiety. On the news, as shown in the photo above, cars looked as if they were practically swimming. It was just one step away from the terror of being submerged and immobilized.
　It seems highly likely that we have entered an era where global “climate change” is occurring with increasing frequency at levels that exceed human society’s expectations. Extreme heat exceeding 40 degrees has become the norm in Europe. Typhoons are making landfall on the Chinese mainland with increasing frequency. And then there’s the damage from earthquakes and torrential rains in Japan.
It wouldn’t be surprising to be struck by a disaster at any moment. We must maintain a sense of crisis and always be mindful of being prepared.
　The diagram below the photo is a portion of Sapporo City’s “hazard map.” It illustrates two concepts related to flood damage: “flooding” and “inland flooding.” While “flooding” generally refers to damage caused by rivers overflowing their banks, the recent damage in Chiba Prefecture, for example, was caused by localized, intense downpours that overwhelmed the city’s sewer system’s capacity.
　I believe it’s important to consult these hazard maps regularly and fully understand the specific risks associated with the area where you live.
Incidentally, in my neighborhood, inland flooding of about 30 cm is projected, and since we’re only 400–500 meters from a nearby river (the Kotoni-Hassamu River), we’re also at risk of river flooding.
　In this era of climate change, I suppose it’s important to maintain a mindset of preparedness for when the time comes. Having a library right in front of my house was a major factor in my choice of where to live, but in addition to that sense of attachment, I’d like to heighten my awareness of how to protect against the risk of water-related disasters.

● Announcement
My book, “Writers and Living Spaces,” has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.

Posted on 8月 26th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類