So last month I’m in Kyoto checking out temples, right? Everything’s all peaceful and touristy until boom – this crazy storm rolls in outta nowhere. Like one minute I’m taking pics of cherry blossoms, next minute it’s raining sideways and the river’s rising fast. Scared the hell outta me – I’m totally alone in a foreign country with zero clue what to do.
Panic mode
First instinct? Run to my cute little Airbnb near the bridge. BIG mistake. Streets were flooding crazy fast, water’s already ankle-deep near alleys. My phone’s blowing up with emergency alerts in Japanese I can’t read. Tried calling my hostel – no answer. Tourists were scrambling like ants – some climbing onto buses, others just freezing in place. Realized I’d never checked local evacuation routes. Felt like an idiot.
How I survived
Grabbed this Japanese lady who spoke some English near the konbini store. She yelled “Stop looking at phone! Follow blue signs!” Turns out those blue markers on poles showed evacuation routes we totally missed before. Here’s exactly what worked:
- Ditched my suitcase – just grabbed passport and water bottle
- Followed locals moving uphill toward this elementary school
- Used my rain poncho as signal flag so rescue guys could spot me
- Charged power bank while waiting – shared juice with 3 others
Took 4 freakin’ hours on that school gym floor with 200 strangers. No food, one bathroom, kids crying. But you know what? Those blue signs saved our butts. Rescue teams knew exactly where to find people because we all went to marked shelters.
What I’ll never forget
- Tourist maps mean NOTHING in disasters – find evacuation maps BEFORE traveling
- Wearing flimsy sandals during mudslides = bloody stupid idea
- Always have cash – ATMs died immediately
- “Weather alert” texts in local language? Screenshot + translate app combo saved me
Thought I was so smart booking hotels near rivers. Yeah, real pretty until nature goes nuts. That “easy steps” crap? Only works if you PRACTICE them before shit hits the fan. Trust me, you don’t wanna learn disaster prep mid-flood like I did. Almost lost my stupid passport running through mud when I could’ve just walked to safety if I’d known where to go.
