Large-scale flooding in Japan, provoked by the strongest typhoons. Earthquakes and floods in Japan When was the flood in Japan
The first disturbing news from Japan came on June 30, when 26,000 residents of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu were advised to evacuate.
Typhoon Prapirun, number 7 in Japan, was reported to be moving from Pacific Ocean on North. It was expected that on Sunday and Monday, the southwestern regions of Japan would be under its influence. The typhoon was accompanied by heavy rains, which could trigger landslides and mudflows.
Already by July 1, the approach of Typhoon Prapirun to the southern Japanese islands led to the cancellation of about 250 flights and the suspension of maritime communications.
The first victim of the elements became known on July 2. According to the Japanese TV channel NHK, four people were injured in the southern prefecture of Okinawa. In South Korea, according to the Yonhap news agency, one person was injured, another died, and two were missing.
Precipitation continues
The day before, meteorologists warned that showers with an intensity of up to 200 millimeters per hour will continue in the southwestern and central regions of Japan today.
By Sunday morning, more than 1,050 millimeters of rain fell in Gifu Prefecture, 745 millimeters in Ehime Prefecture, 465 millimeters in Kyoto, 442 millimeters in Hiroshima, 430 millimeters in Hyogo, in Okayama Prefecture, where in a number of areas houses were flooded up to the second floor and above - 310 millimeters. This is 2-3 times more than the average monthly norm.
Deadly flood hits Japan, death toll rises to 100
As a result of devastating flooding in Japan, caused by heavy downpours and landslides after the tsunami, over the past two days, 100 people have died.
In addition, according to the chief secretary of the Cabinet of Japan Yoshihide Suga, 68 people are missing, according to the Associated Press.
The authorities are urging people not to return to the affected houses yet, as they may be dangerous, and to wait until they are examined by specialists.
Japanese PM cancels overseas visits due to floods
The number of victims of floods and landslides in Japan continues to grow, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in this regard, is forced to cancel a visit to Europe and the Middle East, Japanese media reported.
According to the NHK TV channel, the death toll has reached 109 people, 79 more are considered missing, among the injured three more are in serious condition.
As reported by the Kyodo agency, the tragedy caused Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to cancel a trip to Europe and the Middle East. General Secretary Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Toshihiro Nikai, met with the prime minister on Monday and relayed to reporters his words that "there is no other choice but to cancel" the trip.
Which companies stopped working during the floods in Japan
The flood also affected the activities of companies. Mazda Motor Corp said it was forced to close its Hiroshima head office on Monday.
The automaker, which suspended several factories last week, said two of them would not reopen until Tuesday as the company can't get the parts it needs, although none of the factories were hit.
Electronics maker Panasonic said work at one of its factories is still suspended due to ground floor flooding.
Shares of several companies declined but suffered modest losses. At the same time, Mazda's shares rose as investors considered the damage caused by the flood to be negligible.
While evacuation orders are down from the weekend, nearly two million people are still ordered or advised not to return to their homes, fire and emergency officials said.
It is too early to estimate the overall extent of the damage, but it is likely to be limited, economists said.
Putin expressed condolences in connection with the victims of the flood in Japan
Vladimir Putin sent Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe a telegram of condolences in connection with the casualties and large-scale destruction caused by floods and landslides in Japan. This was reported in the press service of the Kremlin.
In the telegram, Putin noted that Russia shares the grief of the relatives and friends of the victims. In addition, the President wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Binance to Donate $1M to Japan Flood Affected
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said he will donate $1 million to flood and landslide victims in western Japan.
On his Twitter, he expressed his condolences to all those affected and wrote that he was ready to transfer the first part of the funds in the form of ether, bitcoin, yen or BNB tokens. The head of the crypto exchange also asks the partners of the company to join and help those in need.
Flooding in Japan - video
The number of victims of flooding caused by torrential rains in Japan on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku has increased to 76 people. There are 92 missing people. Most of of which was located in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The elements also led to a huge number of landslides. There are currently massive rescue operations, which involved 40 helicopters, 54 thousand people from the police, fire departments, self-defense forces and the coast guard of Japan, reports the Japanese information Agency Kyodo .
About 30,000 people were in evacuation centers as of 3 p.m. Sunday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. In total, recommendations for evacuation were given in the territory where about 5.9 million people live.
In Okayama Prefecture, one of the worst affected areas by the floods, about 1,850 people were rescued by boats or helicopters from their houses, which were submerged almost to the roof due to the destruction of the dam on the river.
The Ministry of Land Resources will begin round-the-clock work to free the flooded area from water, but it will probably take about two weeks to complete the drainage.
At Maby Memorial Hospital, about 160 patients and medical staff took refuge on the second floor of the building, as the first floor was partially submerged.
In Seio, Ehime Prefecture, five people died in their cars, which were flooded. On Nuva Island, a woman in her 30s and her two children died when a mud slide covered their home.
At an emergency meeting in Tokyo on the disaster, the Japanese prime minister called for round-the-clock search and rescue.
This is the first time in two years that the government has convened an emergency meeting. In 2016, such a meeting was held due to the fact that strong earthquakes led to widespread destruction in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in southwestern Japan.
Recall that since July 6, heavy rains have been raging in the central and southwestern parts of Japan. To date, the level of precipitation has exceeded the average monthly norm three times.
By Sunday morning, more than 1050 millimeters of rain fell in Gifu Prefecture, 745 millimeters in Ehime Prefecture, 465 millimeters in Kyoto, 442 millimeters in Hiroshima, 430 millimeters in Hyogo, in Okayama Prefecture, where in a number of areas houses were flooded up to the second floor and above , - 310 millimeters, transmits RIA News" .
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued emergency warnings of a possible increase in flooding and an increase in the number of landslides. Forecasters say such warnings are issued only if experts foresee such extreme conditions that occur once or twice in 50 years.
It was also reported that Emperor Akihito of Japan refused to attend a concert and travel to Shizuoka Prefecture so as not to increase the burden on the police and self-defense forces, which are too busy with rescue operations.
Head Mike Pompeo expressed condolences in connection with what is happening in Japan.
“The United States expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, injured and missing,” the Secretary of State said at the beginning of a joint press conference following a meeting with the heads of Japan and South Korea Taro Kono and Kang Kyung-hwa in Tokyo.
In addition, on Sunday, July 8, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck off the coast of Japan. This was reported on the website of the US Geological Survey.
“The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of more than 39 kilometers, 30 kilometers southeast of locality Ohara in Kyoto prefecture,” the comment reads.
According to preliminary data, there were no casualties or damage as a result of the earthquake. As noted, the threat of a tsunami was not announced.
In August 2014, 77 people died in Hiroshima when heavy rains triggered massive landslides that destroyed homes. But a 71-year-old local resident said of the current disaster: “This is more heavy rain than four years ago. I got scared thinking what would happen to me.”
The population is being evacuated. Heavy rains have instilled that the drainage pumps at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant cannot cope with such a volume of water and tons of radiation-contaminated water spilled into the Pacific Ocean.
1. The photo at the top of the article shows how residents are waiting for their rescue by helicopter on the roofs of their houses. This residential area in Ibaraki Prefecture was completely flooded by the Kunigawa River.
2. These people were caught by the elements while they were driving in cars along the Kinugawa River. They are waiting for their rescue on the roofs of their cars. More than 100,000 people have already been evacuated from flooded areas. At least two people were killed and two were missing.
3. A resident is lifted by a rescue helicopter in a residential area flooded by the Kinugawa River due to Typhoon Etau, in Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, September 10, 2015.
4. People are waiting for their rescue on the roof of the car. One person is held onto a power line pylon on September 10, 2015.
5. The authorities adapted the Ishigi sports park as an evacuation center. Evacuated people rest after the disaster.
6. Helicopter Japan Self-Defense Forces rescues people from the flooded area.
7. A lifeguard pulls a resident and helps him climb onto a Japan Self-Defense Forces helicopter, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, September 10, 2015.
8. A man wade through the water in a residential area that was flooded by the flooding of the Kinugawa River, due to Typhoon Etau, in Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, September 10, 2015.
9. A man saves his belongings from a flood. Everything in this box is the most expensive.
10. The most powerful streams of water do not give a chance to resist the houses.
11. A soldier of the self-defense forces carries a woman who has lost her home. She was rescued from the flood site by helicopter
12. A man is kneeling on the roof of his car and talking on the phone. He must be saved here.
13. A man looks at a place where there was once a road, and now it is the overflowing Kinugawa River.
14. In a makeshift evacuation center, a woman sleeps on her knees.
15. A man, a resident of this area, watches how water washes away residential buildings
16. A man makes his way through the water along the street where there are local shops.
17. People are rescued from cars on boats.
18. Rescuers help the elderly get to the evacuation center
19. A policeman helps this woman across a vast stream of water on the street.
20. The woman and her dog were also saved. The worst is already behind them.
21. A man stands on his balcony and talks to someone on the phone.
22. This man, exhausted, is being carried by rescuers on their backs to a safe place.
23. A man walks through a flooded street, an area where local shops are located.
24. A family with children is trying to get to the rescuers.
25. These elderly people are taken by rescuers to the place of evacuation by boat.
26. An ambulance worker carries this elderly woman after she was rescued by helicopter from a flooded area in Ibaraki Prefecture. Recall that this severe flooding was caused by heavy heavy rains from two typhoons on September 10, 2015 in Japan.
The weather on the Japanese islands has never been particularly calm. Tremors have long been part of everyday life for local residents. Modern society is trying to protect itself from devastating natural disasters that damage infrastructure and take many innocent lives with them. Not so long ago, in the past year 2017, a powerful flood hit the islands again. In Japan, this is not the first case of a collision between man and nature. The country has a long history associated with constant tremors and devastating natural disasters.
location risk
The Japanese islands are part of the infamous Pacific Ring of Fire. Due to the tectonic processes that occur at the bottom of the ocean, huge tsunamis arise. They in turn lead to destructive floods both in Japan and other nearby territories.
Since 1900, the country has managed to survive ten serious aftershocks. Each time the number of victims was several thousand people. The year 1923 was remembered by the inhabitants of Japan for another large-scale earthquake that occurred in Tokyo. This year disaster claimed more than one hundred and forty thousand lives.
Tragedy of 2011
At this time, the northeast of Japan was shaken by powerful tremors, followed by a giant tsunami. The wave height was ten meters, its destructive power was observed on the coast of Fukushima Prefecture. On numerous videos filmed by eyewitnesses, it was clear how a powerful stream washed away any obstacle in its path, be it a car, a ship or a building. As a result of the past flood in Japan, the lists of the dead included about one hundred and thirty-three victims, and among the missing - more than five hundred. It was not ruled out that the natural disaster actually claimed the lives of thousands of people.
The flood that occurred caused a great threat to nuclear safety. At the same time, six Japanese nuclear power plants have suspended their work. One of them declared an emergency due to damage caused by the earthquake, while the other barely managed to put out a massive fire.
2015
Four years later, after a large-scale tragedy caused by tremors, another disaster struck the Japanese islands again. Five hundred thousand residents received a forced evacuation warning, of which only three hundred thousand people were able to leave their place of residence. The infamous Fukushima has once again come under attack. Military aviation was involved in the evacuation of people - a decision that the country's authorities decided for the first time. The rescued people were placed in empty schools, and all students were released for unscheduled holidays.
This time, the flood in Japan (photos are presented in the article) was caused by two powerful typhoons. It was believed that they would not reach the territory of the islands and disperse over the water surface. However, both typhoons met precisely over Fukushima Prefecture.
July 2017
The last large-scale flood in the south of Japan to date claimed the lives of twenty-five local residents. According to the authorities, the tragedy first affected the island of Kyushu, where heavy rains have been going on all last week. As a result, several rivers overflowed their banks and collapsed on nearby urban areas, eroding every road along the way. Thousands of residents were forced to flee.
The greatest damage from the flood went to the prefectures of Oita and Fukuoka, where about one hundred and fifty Japanese were blocked. It was also reported that over twelve thousand specialists went to rescue operations. News of prolonged downpours in these areas only confirms fears of new floods.
That in the west of the country, 104 people died as a result of floods and landslides caused by heavy rains. Another 50 people are listed as missing.
In Japan, every year in the second half of June - early July, there is a rainy season, which is called "plum" ("bayu" or "tsuyu"). Sometimes during this season, 100 mm or more of precipitation falls per day, which causes catastrophic floods and landslides. The most devastating downpours took place in 1953 - then on the island of Kyushu in western Japan, 759 people died as a result of the flood, more than 450 thousand people lost their homes.
The TASS-DOSIER editors have prepared material on major floods that have resulted in loss of life in Japan over the past ten years. The flood was the most serious in terms of the number of deaths since 1983 (when 118 people died).
July 19-26, 2009 31 people became victims of landslides, floods and other emergencies caused by heavy rains on the territory of the Japanese islands of Honshu (Chugoku region) and Kyushu (western country), 55 people were injured. Damage was inflicted on the prefectures of Tottori, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki.
In the affected areas, flows of water and mud completely destroyed 45 buildings, flooded or damaged more than 2,000 buildings, and over 10,000 people were evacuated to temporary shelters. Overflowing river banks seriously damaged a number of highways. Due to the danger of flooding and landslides, traffic on major highways and railway lines was stopped. According to the meteorological department, July 2009 for a number of regions of Japan was the most cloudy and rainy since 1946.
July 26-30, 2011 heavy rains in the prefectures of Niigata and Fukushima (eastern Japan), where a record 100 mm of rain fell in a number of areas in just an hour, caused landslides and flooding. Four people were killed and seven were injured. 17 buildings were completely destroyed, about 8 thousand houses were damaged. Near the village Sanjo (Niigata Prefecture) water flows partially destroyed the Kasabori Dam, units of the Japan Self-Defense Forces carried out the evacuation of local residents.
July 3-14, 2012 heavy rainfall in Kyushu in Kumamoto, Oita and Fukuoka prefectures killed a total of 30 people and injured 27 others. 363 buildings were destroyed, 3,298 buildings fell into the flood zone.
July 5-6, 2017 40 people became victims of heavy rains in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures, two more were missing as of July 2018. In the city of Asakura (Fukuoka), a record 586 mm of precipitation fell per day. 336 buildings were completely destroyed. 515,700 people received recommendations to evacuate.
