Authorities on Saturday (Sept 21) ordered the evacuation of more than 60,000 residents in central Japan due to flooding caused by heavy rains, and reported one person missing. Some 44,700 residents of the cities of Wajima, Suzu and Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture were forced to leave the area, local officials said.
By mid-morning, flooding had been confirmed in about ten rivers in the region, said Masaru Kojima of the Land Ministry. Three of them had burst their banks and floodwaters had reached nearby towns, an official told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that damage to buildings and infrastructure was being assessed.
One person is missing in Wajima, where several buildings were flooded and roads were blocked by landslides, the department said in a statement.
At least one house was damaged by a landslide, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, which gave no further details.
Maximum alert in the Ishikawa department
The Japan Meteorological Agency has put Ishikawa Prefecture on high alert, warning of dangers “mortals”. Agency forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto reported “torrential rains of unprecedented magnitude”Wajima and Suzu were among the cities hardest hit by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on September 1.Ahem last January, which left at least 236 dead in central Japan.
The region is still recovering from the catastrophe that flattened buildings, destroyed roads and sparked a huge fire. Some 16,000 residents from neighbouring Niigata and Yamagata, further northeast, have also been ordered to evacuate, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Precipitation levels in Japan have reached record levels in recent years in several parts of the country, with sometimes deadly flooding and landslides. Experts believe climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of these phenomena.
