Japan: Floods Kill at Least 6 in Ishikawa Region

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Facts

  • After heavy rain caused flooding and landslides along the Ishikawa region on the Sea of Japan, which is still recovering from the severe earthquake in January, at least six people have died and 10 more are missing.[1]
  • Suzu and Wajima on the northern shore of the Noto peninsula were among numerous cities under the highest alert for heavy rain from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency lowered the heavy rain alert level but maintained landslide and flooding warnings.[2]
  • Intense rain began Saturday and dropped more than 540 millimeters (21 inches) of water in Wajima over 72 hours, the most in recorded history. Flooding also occurred in the emergency housing for Jan. 1 earthquake victims.[3]
  • According to the Land and Infrastructure Ministry, 16 rivers had exceeded their capacity as a result. By Saturday afternoon, authorities counted 1.35K residents seeking shelter at local facilities, such as community centers and school gymnasiums.[4]
  • According to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the rain caused power outages for roughly 4K homes and isolated over 100 areas in the region due to landslides blocking the roadways.[5]
  • Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government's top priority is search and rescue and he announced the deployment of troops from the Self Defense Force to assist. He also urged residents to take precautions and follow the authorities' recommendations.[6][2]

Sources: [1]Guardian, [2]ABC News, [3]Barrons, [4]Associated Press, [5]Al Jazeera and [6]Toronto Star.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Japantimes. For Japan, which can face many types of natural disasters, preparation is key. Japan is disaster-resilient and more equipped than most other nations. The nation's preparedness capabilities are world-renowned and its disaster management systems are well equipped to handle climate-catalyzed and other types of hazards alike.
  • Narrative B, as provided by BBC News. Climate change has caused Japan to be hit with multiple record-breaking natural disasters this year. Climate change exacerbates tropical storms, which become more violent as sea temperatures rise, leading to significant damage and flooding, as is currently occurring in Japan's Ishikawa region. As highly accomplished as Japan's preparedness capabilities are, the impacts of climate change are likely to be overwhelming.

Predictions