Elucidating ever-changing information needs for the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake using web search queries

The Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024, caused significant damage to the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas. This study aims to contribute to evidence-based disaster response by identifying the information needs of the affected areas through a data-driven approach using web search queries. Specifically, the study focuses on the Oku-Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, which includes Wajima City, Suzu City, Anamizu Town, and Noto Town. By assigning anomaly scores to web search queries and applying statistical processing such as standardized scores, kurtosis, and skewness, this study elucidates the patterns of changes in information needs in the affected areas. From January 1, 2024, to June 23, 2024, a total of 15,107 search queries were extracted based on anomaly scoring, and 4790 queries were obtained after filtering out irrelevant data. These search queries were classified into five categories: “Hazard and Situation,” “Transportation,” “Critical Infrastructure,” “Coping and Recovery,” and “Daily Life.” The analysis revealed two distinct periods—around 10 days and one month after the disaster—where significant changes in the nature of information needs were observed. Furthermore, information needs related to “Transportation,” particularly road and traffic information, were relatively high, with a notable emphasis on the Noto Satoyama Kaido and Kanazawa Station.