Nearly 2 500 people evacuate as record rainfall hits northern Japan, triggering floods and landslides
Almost 2 500 people have been evacuated as record-high rainfall poured over northern Japan into Wednesday, July 29, 2020, causing damaging floods and landslides, including in the Yamagata Prefecture, where the Mogami River burst its banks and a mudslide left 540 people isolated.
Heavy rain has been battering the northern region of the country since July 27, triggering several landslides and causing rivers to overflow. In Yamagata, as many as 540 people were left isolated due to mudslides.
"In the village of Okura, 540 people have been left isolated due to landslides," government spokesman Yoshihide Suga confirmed.
Suga added that the Mogami River in the prefecture broke its banks following overnight record rain, flooding at least four areas and leaving many towns inundated.
In Nagai City, 206.5 mm (8.1 inches) of rain was recorded into July 28, which was the highest 24-hour July rainfall since 1976, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Meanwhile, Okura village recorded 95.5 mm (3.8 inches) of rain in only a three-hour period on the same day.
Numerous areas in Yamagata recorded more than 200 mm (8 inches) of rain in 24 hours to Wednesday, July 29, including Tsuruoka, Nishimura, Oguni, and Nagai, according to the JMA.
山形県大江町の役場によりますと、大江町を流れる月布川で、川の水があふれているという情報が消防団などから寄せられているということです。https://t.co/a5ZmXC7B6V pic.twitter.com/ihaI37v5F4
— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) July 28, 2020
山形県大蔵村の肘折温泉。
先ほど通ってきた橋梁の真下まで濁流が。
左のお蕎麦屋さんは浸水してしまったようです。#垂直避難 pic.twitter.com/ADnsdrzdXc— YAMAGUCHI Hidekazu (@yama8888) July 28, 2020
注意喚起のためによかったらSNSに載せて、と家族･知り合いから届いた山形県上山市内の様子。現在川から水が溢れ町全体がこのようになっているとの事です。
どうぞ身の安全を第一に行動なさってください。#山形県#上山市 pic.twitter.com/f4IApBSIEW— 佐竹莉奈 (@reriina) July 28, 2020
According to officials, around 90 houses have been damaged by the flooding and nearly 2 500 people have been displaced. One person sustained an injury, but no fatalities were reported.
Rescue teams had to use rubber boats in residential areas to look for stranded people.
The Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train had temporarily stopped running and some highways were cut off.
The government has started assessing the extent of flood damage along the Mogami River, the longest in Japan, and the river basin that accounts for about 75 percent of the Yamagata Prefecture.
In the neighboring Iwate Prefecture, more than a dozen buildings in Hanamaki and Oshu were inundated as of Wednesday morning.
友達が送ってくれた、実家のある山形県上山市。どうか身の安全第一に、行動してください。雨が弱まりますように、願うばかりです。。 #山形県 pic.twitter.com/w1N3z6ORGG
— 藤原 雪 (@fuziwara_yuki) July 28, 2020
#山形県#上山市
注意警報が携帯から何度も鳴っています。たくさんの雨が降り道路一面が見えない状態になっています。こちらの地域だけでは無く沢山の地域がこの状態です。安全を心がけて行動してください。 pic.twitter.com/hFl7twiBve— 早坂公平 (@hayatumuri) July 28, 2020
弊社工場が、、、
水浸しになっています、、、#山形県 #山辺町 #拡散希望#励ましのいいねお願いします pic.twitter.com/7G06mrxE7j— ヒカルマシナリー【山形】 (@HikaruMachinery) July 28, 2020
Featured image credit: ANNnewsCH/YouTube
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