Thousands Evacuated as Record Rains Pound Northern Japan

AFP/APP

Tokyo: Record heavy rain has led to the evacuation of thousands in northern Japan as rivers overflowed, washing away bridges and cars, according to officials and media reports.

At least one person has been killed and four are missing following the downpours in Yamagata and Akita prefectures on Honshu Island. A man in his 60s is missing after a landslide in Yuzawa City, while an 86-year-old man is unaccounted for in Akita City.

One body has been found in Akita City.

A local official in Yamagata, where two rivers burst their banks, reported that “three people, including two police officers on a mission to find a missing man, are unaccounted for.”

Yamagata prefecture has recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall since 1976, with Shinjo seeing 389 millimeters (15 inches) and Sakata 289 millimeters.

Footage has shown raging brown waters sweeping away several vehicles, including a police car. The fire and disaster management agency issued evacuation advisories for over 200,000 people, with at least 4,000 already moved to shelters.

Approximately 3,060 households are without power, and 1,100 lack running water.

Motorways are closed, and Shinkansen bullet trains have suspended operations, according to government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi. The military has been deployed to Yamagata to assist with rescue efforts.

Japan’s weather agency initially issued its highest emergency alert for heavy rain in Sakata and Yuza, later downgrading the warning but urging vigilance for potential landslides and flooding. The JMA forecasts continued rainfall of 100 to 200 millimeters per day over the next three days.