Record Rains Trigger Mass Evacuations In Japan

Record heavy rains have forced the evacuation of thousands in northern Japan, as rivers overflowed, sweeping away bridges and vehicles, according to officials and media reports on Friday.

The unprecedented downpours have resulted in at least one fatality and four individuals missing across Yamagata and Akita prefecture on Honshu, Japan’s main island.

In Yuzawa City, a man in his 60s went missing following a landslide at a roadworks site, while an 86-year-old man disappeared near a riverbank in Akita City, police reported to AFP, additionally, media sources said a body was discovered in Akita City.

In Yamagata, a local official informed AFP that “three people, including two police officers on a mission searching for a missing man, are unaccounted for” after two rivers in the region burst their banks.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported record-breaking rainfall in parts of Yamagata prefecture, with Shinjo receiving 389 millimetres (15 inches) and Sakata 289 millimetres in a 24-hour period, the highest since records began in 1976.

Footage from the affected areas depicted raging brown floodwaters sweeping away several vehicles, including a police car.

The fire and disaster management agency issued evacuation advisories for over 200,000 residents, and NHK, the public broadcaster, reported that at least 4,000 people sought refuge in shelters.

The severe weather also caused power outages for approximately 3,060 households and left 1,100 homes without running water.

Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi reported the closure of some motorways and the suspension of Shinkansen bullet train services in the area.

Military forces have been deployed to Yamagata to assist with rescue operations led by police and fire department officials.

Earlier this week, Japan’s weather agency issued its highest emergency alert for heavy rain in Sakata and Yuza, Yamagata region; although the alert level was later reduced by one notch, authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant against potential landslides and flooding.

The JMA forecasts continued heavy rainfall, with 100 to 200 millimetres expected daily over the next three days.