1024mm Rainfall Over Four Days... Record-Breaking Heavy Rain in Kyushu, Japan

Landslides and Flooding Continue
Elderly Man Rescued 18 Hours After Landslide

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Record-breaking heavy rain continues to cause landslides and river flooding across the Kyushu region of Japan. With more rain expected for the time being, there are concerns about the possibility of large-scale disasters.

According to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency on the 16th, Ureshino City in Saga Prefecture recorded 1024 mm of rainfall from the 11th until 4 a.m. the previous day. This amount of rain in just over four days is about 3.7 times the average rainfall for the entire month of August in Ureshino City (277.7 mm).

Other areas in the region are also experiencing heavy rain. In Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, the rainfall over 72 hours until 12:10 a.m. on the 16th reached 509 mm, and Saga City in Saga Prefecture recorded 506.5 mm of rainfall.

As the front remains stationary, widespread rain is falling across western Japan, including Kyushu, with the effects of the heavy rain appearing in various places. NHK reported that the stationary front will linger near the Japanese archipelago until the 20th, bringing more rain nationwide.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan, Kyodo News reported that as of the previous day, 44 landslide and soil disaster incidents had been confirmed in 15 prefectures nationwide. Breaches or overflows were confirmed in 36 rivers across 9 prefectures, and cases of railway and road washouts have continued.

Casualties have also been confirmed. In Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture, two women in their 70s were found dead in a water channel about 1.3 meters deep, and in Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture, a landslide buried houses, leaving three people in cardiac arrest.

According to reports from private Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting and Fukuoka TNC News, on the morning of the 15th in Soeda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, a 75-year-old woman was buried up to her lower body in soil due to a landslide that covered her house. After receiving the report, 50 police officers and firefighters conducted rescue operations and saved the woman after 18 hours.

Prime Minister Suga held a meeting with related ministers at the Prime Minister's Office on the afternoon of the 15th and issued a public message urging people to "not hesitate to evacuate if you feel even a little danger and take early action to protect your life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.