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Japan tells thousands to evacuate as ‘unprecedented’ rains trigger floods, landslides

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  • Japan tells thousands to evacuate as ‘unprecedented’ rains trigger floods, landslides
  • September 21, 2024
  • Article Body Text <p>Japanese authorities told tens of thousands of people to evacuate the quake-hit region of Ishikawa on Saturday as &quot;unprecedented&quot; rains triggered floods and landslides.</p> <p>A dozen rivers in the region had burst their banks as of 11 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), land ministry official Masaru Kojima said.</p> <p>The cities of Wajima and Suzu, as well as Noto town, ordered about 44,700 residents to evacuate, local officials said.</p> <p>The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said it issued its highest-level warning for Ishikawa, cautioning of a &quot;life-threatening situation.&quot;</p> <p>The areas under the warning were seeing &quot;heavy rain of unprecedented levels,&quot; JMA forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto told reporters, adding &quot;it is a situation in which you have to secure your safety immediately.&quot;</p> <p>At least one person was missing in Wajima, while many buildings were inundated, with landslides blocking parts of roadways, the Ishikawa government said in a statement.</p> <p>Public broadcaster NHK aired video showing an entire street in Wajima under water.</p> <p>Three rivers in Ishikawa were overflowing into nearby communities, a local official told AFP earlier.</p> <p>At least one house was hit by a landslide, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said, without giving further details.</p> <p>Another 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa were also told to evacuate, the agency said.</p> <p>Wajima and Suzu, in central Japan's Noto peninsula, were among the areas hardest hit by a huge New Year's Day earthquake that killed at least 236 people.</p> <p>The region is still reeling from the magnitude 7.5 quake that toppled buildings, ripped up roads and sparked a major fire.</p> <p>Japan has seen unprecedented rainfall in parts of the country in recent years, with floods and landslides sometimes causing casualties.</p> <p>Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in the country and elsewhere because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.</p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date September 21, 2024 03:23 EDT
  • Byline Agence France-Presse
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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