2 likely dead, many missing after record rain floods southern Japan
Aug. 11 (UPI) -- At least two people may be dead and scores of others still missing after landslides and flooding hit southwest Japan after torrential rain.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged Japanese citizens on Monday to be vigilant and said Japan's government was "committed to implementing disaster response measures."
The Japanese Meteorological Agency issued a warning of extreme rainfall to residents in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures as it stretched across a wide swath of the archipelago nation.
Rescuers continue the search for the missing with scores of emergency reports.
Water submerged homes and rivers rose over banks as Japanese officials advised tens of thousands in six of Japan's 47 prefectures to evacuate to safer areas.
"Due to the heavy rain so far, the ground has become loose in some areas, so please continue to be on high alert for landslides, rising river levels and flooding," JMA officials said earlier in the day.
A Japanese weather official said "there is a real threat to people's lives" as the agency issued landslide warnings for nine prefectures, including Kumamoto where nearly 2 feet of rain fell in a 24-hour period.
According to the weather office, it was record rainfall for the area.
"I have never experienced rain like this," Yoichi Tachihara, a JMA official, said during a press briefing.
Officials added that over a foot of rain -- or about 370 millimeters -- fell in about six hours through Monday in Tamana, Kumamoto, which was nearly double the level of precipitation for the city for the entire month.
"Take the best action to protect your life immediately and with maximum caution," Japan's Office of Disaster Management posted Sunday on social media.
Meanwhile, Japanese railway operator JR Kyushu had suspected all bullet trains but resumed operations later in the day.
The record rainfall and flooding to Nippon's south arrived a few short weeks after a separate record-breaking earthquake in eastern Russia led to a volcanic eruption and tsunami warnings for the Japanese island and in many other global outposts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
2 likely dead, many missing after record rain floods southern Japan
A man on Monday inspected a flooded shed in Tamana in the Kumamoto Prefecture on southwestern Japan's Kyushu island. Kyushu was hit by continuous heavy rainfall due to a stagnant front. It caused Japan's Meteorological Agency to issue a special heavy rainfall warning in the Kumamoto Prefecture area. Torrential rain triggered floods, landslides and cancellations of bullet train services in western and southwestern Japan. Photo By Jiji Press/EPA Aug. 11 (UPI) -- At least two people may be dead and scores of others still missing after landslides and flooding hit southwest Japan after torrential rain. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged Japanese citizens on Monday to be vigilant and said Japan's government was "committed to implementing disaster response measures." The Japanese Meteorological Agency issued a warning of extreme rainfall to residents in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures as it stretched across a wide swath of the archipelago nation. Rescuers continue the search for the missing with scores of emergency reports. Water submerged homes and rivers rose over banks as Japanese officials advised tens of thousands in six of Japan's 47 prefectures to evacuate to safer areas. "Due to the heavy rain so far, the ground has become loose in some areas, so please continue to be on high alert for landslides, rising river levels and flooding," JMA officials said earlier in the day. A Japanese weather official said "there is a real threat to people's lives" as the agency issued landslide warnings for nine prefectures, including Kumamoto where nearly 2 feet of rain fell in a 24-hour period. According to the weather office, it was record rainfall for the area. "I have never experienced rain like this," Yoichi Tachihara, a JMA official, said during a press briefing. Officials added that over a foot of rain -- or about 370 millimeters -- fell in about six hours through Monday in Tamana, Kumamoto, which was nearly double the level of precipitation for the city for the entire month. "Take the best action to protect your life immediately and with maximum caution," Japan's Office of Disaster Management posted Sunday on social media. Meanwhile, Japanese railway operator JR Kyushu had suspected all bullet trains but resumed operations later in the day. The record rainfall and flooding to Nippon's south arrived a few short weeks after a separate record-breaking earthquake in eastern Russia led to a volcanic eruption and tsunami warnings for the Japanese island and in many other global outposts.
2 days ago
Several missing after floods and landslides hit southern Japan, officials and reports say
Several people were reported missing after heavy rains and landslides in southern Japan flooded homes and swept people away on Monday, according to media reports and local officials. Rescue teams continue to search for missing individuals after Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency advised tens of thousands of people in six prefectures to evacuate to safer areas. In Kumamoto prefecture, rescuers are searching for three people, one of whom was heading to an evacuation center with family when a mudslide hit their vehicle, according to the Associated Press. Areas of the prefecture were under Japan's most serious evacuation warning. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued landslide warnings for Kumamoto and eight other prefectures. In Misato town, also in the prefecture, rescuers saved an elderly man who was trapped inside his house after it was struck by a landslide and brought him to a hospital, the town's duty official told ABC News. He is expected to survive. Two people in Fukuoka city reportedly were swept away in a surging river Sunday and remained missing, Japanese national broadcaster NHK reported. Around 400 millimeters of rain fell in areas of Kumamoto prefecture in a 24 hour period -- a record for the area, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. "I have never experienced rain like this,' said Yoichi Tachihara, who leads the forecast and warning division at the Japan Meteorological Agency, in a press conference. 'There is a real threat to people's lives." 'Take the best action to protect your life immediately and with maximum caution,' urged Japan's Office of Disaster Management on Sunday evening in a post on X. Local television stations showed overflowing rivers and submerged houses and shops and roads submerged in up to a meter of water. A warm humid weather front resulted in unstable atmospheric pressure, leading to extreme rain in the region, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Monday's flooding hit during one of the busiest weeks of travel in the country. Monday is a national holiday which leads into the annual Obon Festival, when millions of people travel to their hometowns to commemorate the spirits of ancestors and deceased loved ones. Trains across Japan are usually fully booked during this holiday period. However, due to the extreme weather, the Japan Railway Company suspended service on multiple lines. Although the emergency warning was reduced to a less urgent heavy rain warning on Monday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that the soil had become unstable due to the precipitation, leaving the region at an elevated risk of landslides even without excessive rain. 'Be on high alert,' said Tachihara.
3 days ago
Heavy rains in Japan cause flooding and mudslides, and leave several people missing
TOKYO -- Downpours on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu caused flooding and mudslides, injuring a number of people and impacting travel during a Buddhist holiday week. Several people were reported missing. The torrential rain that began late last week left one person missing and four others injured in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima. The low-pressure system stuck over the region has since dumped more rain in the northern parts of Kyushu. The Japan Meteorological Agency early Monday issued the highest-level warning in Kumamoto. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency issued evacuation advisories to tens of thousands of people in Kumamoto and six other prefectures in the region. Rescue workers in the region were searching for several people. In Kumamoto, they were looking for three people. A family of three was hit by a mudslide while driving to an evacuation center. Two were dug out alive but a third person was still missing. Two others were missing elsewhere in the prefecture. Several other people were also reported missing after falling into swollen rivers in Kumamoto and nearby Fukuoka prefecture. Television footage showed muddy water gushing down, carrying broken trees and branches, and residents wading through knee-deep floodwater. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said his government was supporting search and rescue operations for the missing and helping others in affected areas. He urged residents 'to use maximum caution," encouraging them to "please prioritize actions to save your lives.' Heavy rain also impacted people traveling during Japan's Buddhist 'bon' holiday week. Bullet trains connecting Kagoshima and Hakata in northern Kyushu, as well as local train services, were suspended Monday morning. Services were partially resumed in areas where the rain subsided. About 6,000 households were out of power in Kumamoto, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co.
