if it is swallowed「喉元すぎれば」

A very powerful earthquake struck Niigata again and many homes were destroyed. A similar disaster occurred in this area 3 years prior.

My heart went out to the many victims.Kashiwazaki-shi, which had been damaged in the earlier earthquake, had made a list of all people who were over 65 and lived alone.

The intention was to know the location of the most vulnerable citizens incase of a natural disaster. Unfortunately, a list was the only preparation devised. They had not yet decided anything definite regarding how help would be given.
That's why Kashiwazaki-shi was unprepared for the next earthquake and was unable to give organized assistance.
Sadly, four of the victims of this earthquake were on this list.
Similarly Nagaoka-shi, another city struck by the same 2 earthquakes, had made a list as well. Their measures also included the local welfare officer and members of the voluntary
disaster prevention organization. Incase of disaster they would try to contact each person on their list via telephone and knocking on doors. They were able to confirm all 3,236 people on the list were safe on the day of the earthquake..
By survey, it appears that fully half of victims of the earthquake had made no preparations in case of an earthquake even though they had suffered through one 3 years earlier.
This reminded me of when I was one of the victims who suffered from the great, Kobe earthquake.
I remember that in the aftermath I would put a big bag of emergency supplies beside my bed and I slept wearing shoes so that I would be able to be prepared and to move quickly at anytime. This routine went on for over half a year.
More than ten years have passed since then.
Now I make no preparations for disaster.
There is a proverb that goes: “Boiling heat is forgotten even if it is swallowed” Similar to the English proverb: "When the danger has past, God is forgotten."
People easily forget hard time.

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３年前にも起こった同じ場所の新潟でまた大きな地震がありました。。たくさんの被害者がでて、亡くなった方もいます。

新潟県中越沖地震で大きな被害の出た柏崎市では、65歳以上の１人暮らしの人を、災害発生時に援護が必要な人としてリストアップしていたそうです。なのに、援護する具体的な方法を何も決めていなかったので何もできずじまいで、結局、亡くなった９人のうち４人は名簿に掲載されていた方々だったそうです…。

同じ被災地の長岡市も同じような名簿を作成していたそうですが、加えて、民生委員や自主防災組織のメンバーらがそれぞれの確認先を決めていたために、震災発生当日のうちに３２３６人、全員の無事を確認できたんだとか。

今回の被災者の方々も、半数以上の人が前回の被災経験を生かした準備をしていなかったと答えてるみたいです…..。

私も神戸淡路大震災で被災した１人です。震災直 後は、いつでも逃げれるようにと靴を履いて、枕元に必要な物を置いて眠ったりしていましたが、10年以上たった今、確かに今は何の備えもできていません。

「喉元すぎれば熱さ忘れる」ということわざは、口に入れたとき熱いものでも飲みこんでしまえば熱さを感じず忘れてしまうという意味です。

苦しい事も、過ぎてしまえば忘れてしまう。というような意味ですが、忘れることができていい苦しい事と、忘れてちゃいけない熱さと、しなくてはいけない「熱さ対策」もあるよなーと思いました。