If a massive inland earthquake hit Tokyo, what would we do?

Right after the 3/11 earthquake hit Tokyo, all the train services were suspended, and then a lot of people had difficulty getting home. Under these circumstances, the government strongly advised them to stay at their offices or public facilities like schools, and not to try to go back home. Despite that, a lot of people tried to go home on foot or by taxi mainly because they were very worried about their children. Actually, it's reported that things that happened in Tokyo right after the 3/11 earthquake have revealed various problems in the Tokyo area.

It's been said that a massive inland earthquake could hit Tokyo. Some specialists predict that there is a 70% chance it could happen within the next 30 years. The government has made a plan for massive inland earthquakes in Tokyo. According to the news, when a massive earthquake hits Tokyo, to minimize the damage, it's very important that most people working in Tokyo stay at their offices or public facilities. It's expected that more people will die by the fire than by building collapses. Tokyo is more vulnerable to damage by the fire. Under the circumstance where traffic lights don't work and train services are suspended due to blackout caused by the earthquake, if a lot of people try to go back home on foot or by taxi, emergency vehicles will be surely blocked by them, and it will add to the damage. This is why the government strongly advised people in Tokyo not to try to go back home. 

On the 11th of March, Tokyo shook heavily. Although all the train service were suspended, electricity, gas, water and fixed telephone services worked properly. However, it's reported that more people tried to go back home on foot and by taxi than the government had expected. It took more time for people to get through to their families than expected because cellphone service didn't work properly due to overcapacity. Convenience stores etc--which are expected to provide food and official information to people based on a contract with the government--didn't play the role as well as expected.

On top of that, there are many double-income families with children in the Tokyo area. Generally, they don't know their neighbors well. So, I've heard that many school children were forced to spend a night at home by themselves while they were frightened by frequent aftershocks because their parents were unable to go back home.

Now, people in large cities are required to think about what they would do when a massive earthquake hit their city and how to improve local community relations.

http://jp.reuters.com/article/topNews/idJPJAPAN-20575320110412