Heavy rains pound western and central Japan, highways closed; 2 dead in Hiroshima
Heavy rains continued in western and central Japan, leading to at least two deaths, triggering mudslides, and causing damage over a wide area.
The house in Kure, Hiroshima, where a woman died in a mudslide, is pictured on July 14. (Mainichi)
In the southern part of Nagano Prefecture, torrential rains forced the closing of several parts of national highways. According to the prefectural government and other sources, on the morning of July 15, Minamishinano and Kamimura, both districts located in the city of Iida, and the village of Tenryu had a combined 201 households and 448 people isolated because of the downpours. Prefectural and city governments were working on repairs. No dead or injured have been reported.
The prefecture and other sources said that due to mudslides, parts of national highways 152 and 418 have become impassable, and on July 14, access to 979 households and 2,159 people in two districts of Iida was temporarily cut off. Mudslides were also reported on roads in Tenryu, and in both Iida and Tenryu houses were damaged by falling trees and stone fences. Over 100 people in total in the two locations were evacuated to safer areas.
Cars at a driving school in Sanyo-Onoda, Yamaguchi Prefecture, are pictured on July 15, after being moved to high ground to avoid the floods. (Mainichi)
As of the morning of July 15, parts of Route 418 were reopened to traffic.
Other areas of western Japan also experienced heavy rains, causing mudslides and flooded rivers.
The Meteorological Agency predicted heavy rain would continue through July 15, and urged citizens in affected areas to be cautious of mudslides.
In Hiroshima Prefecture, two deaths were confirmed: a 77-year-old woman who was swept into a river in Mihara, and a 72-year-old woman whose house was caught in a mudslide in Kure.
A 73-year-old woman in Sera was missing, possibly buried in a mudslide near her home, and an 82-year-old man in Tsuwano, Shimane Prefecture, was also missing.
Route 152 in Iida, Nagano Prefecture, is pictured after being closed to traffic because of mudslides, on July 15. (Mainichi)
Across Fukuoka, Saga and Yamaguchi prefectures, a total of 87,111 households and 180,534 people were advised or instructed to evacuate to safe ground. Actual evacuations across the six prefectures of Fukuoka, Saga, Yamaguchi, Oita, Nagasaki and Kumamoto, including those that were not advised or instructed by prefectural governments, came out at 897 households and 1,848 people. The prefectures reported flooding in a total of 420 households.
In Yoshinogari, Saga Prefecture, landslides partly or completely destroyed eight buildings including private residences and garages.
The Fukuoka District Meteorological Observatory's recorded rainfall from the beginning of heavy downpours at 11 a.m. on July 10 until 3 p.m. on July 14 included: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, at 562 millimeters; Saga City at 542 millimeters; Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, at 529 millimeters; and Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, at 435 millimeters.
Several locations in July recorded the most rainfall over a 24-hour period they ever had, including Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture at 224 millimeters; Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture at 282 millimeters; and Matsuura, Nagasaki Prefecture at 190 millimeters.
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