Japanese authorities issued evacuation orders for tens of thousands in the quake-stricken Ishikawa region on Saturday, September 21, as “unprecedented” rains led to severe flooding and landslides.
As of 11 AM local time (2 AM GMT), a land ministry official, Masaru Kojima, reported that a dozen rivers had overflowed their banks, exacerbating the crisis.
Public broadcaster NHK indicated that three individuals were missing in Ishikawa, with two swept away by powerful river currents.
Further north in Wajima, at least one person was also unaccounted for, with rescue teams investigating additional reports of missing individuals, according to local officials speaking to AFP.
The torrential rains inundated many buildings, and landslides obstructed several roadways, as outlined in a statement from the Ishikawa government.
As a precaution, officials ordered approximately 44,700 residents from the cities of Wajima and Suzu, as well as Noto town, to evacuate.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level warning for Ishikawa, highlighting a “life-threatening situation.”
Forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto emphasized the urgency, stating, “it is a situation in which you have to secure your safety immediately,” as the region experienced “heavy rain of unprecedented levels.”
Wajima recorded over 120mm of rainfall per hour in the morning, marking the heaviest precipitation since records began in 1929. Disturbing footage aired on NHK showed entire streets submerged in water in Wajima.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has directed the government to prioritize disaster management, stating, “to do its best in disaster management with saving people’s lives as the first priority.”
Top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that military personnel have been deployed to assist local rescue efforts.
At least one house was reported damaged by a landslide, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, though details were scarce. Additionally, around 16,700 residents in the neighboring Niigata and Yamagata prefectures were also advised to evacuate.
By Saturday afternoon, approximately 6,600 households in the affected regions were without electricity, and some communication services were disrupted, according to local operators.
Wajima and Suzu were previously affected by a devastating magnitude-7.5 earthquake on New Year’s Day that resulted in at least 236 fatalities.
The ongoing challenges posed by natural disasters have raised concerns, as parts of Japan have experienced increasingly severe rainfall in recent years, leading to floods and landslides that have claimed lives.
Experts asserted that climate change, driven by human activity, is heightening the risk of intense rainfall events across the country and beyond, as a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.
