Hi! Kirk here after another long absence.
Kumamoto City has issued an “evacuation directive / instruction” (hinan shiji; 避難指示) for the entire city. The information you see in the attached image comes from the following page:
https://crisis.yahoo.co.jp/evacuation/43/
This Yahoo page is in Japanese but, if you have a Google browser, you can have it translated into English.
In discussing with my wife whether or not to go to the local elementary school, the question of whether or not the shiji (directive / instruction) is legally binding came up. The answer is that no legal penalties have been established in Japan for failure to comply. So, this is different from what is called an “evacuation order” in some countries. Please note, though, the hinan shiji is stronger than hinan kankoku (避難勧告; recommendation / advisory). If there’s any doubt in your mind about what you should do, it’s probably better to go to a shelter before the winds get too strong.
Be safe!