Japan flooding is deadliest catastrophe since Tohoku earthquake
Japan is enduring the deadliest natural catastrophe to hit the country since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in the form of flooding, which is the worst since 1982.
The country has been hit by several days of record-breaking rainfall between July 4 and 8, which led to widespread inland flooding in 11 prefectures across western and central Japan. The precipitation was described by an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) as being “at a level we have never experienced.”
According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, as well as numerous rivers and streams bursting their banks, many landslides have been reported. In addition to major damage to buildings and infrastructure there has been considerable business interruption. At least 180 lives have been lost, and dozens are unaccounted for, according to data issued on July 12 from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA).
This is Japan’s deadliest flood since 1982 and the country’s deadliest natural catastrophe since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Search and rescue operations by the government have deployed more than 70,000 emergency personnel.
Several rivers such as Asahigawa, Takahashi, Misasa, and Houmangawa rivers near the cities of Okayama, Kusashiki, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka, respectively, experienced over 500-year return period flows. The Hijikawa River in Ehime Prefecture overflowed with an over 250-year return period flow.
“The precipitation began on July 4 as a seasonal ‘Baiu’ rain front that interacted with moisture from the remnants of Typhoon Prapiroon, which dissipated over the Sea of Japan on that day,” said Dr. Hemant Chowdhary, principal scientist at AIR Worldwide.
“The front continued to drench already saturated soils until July 8. The JMA issued an Emergency Heavy Rain Warning for Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Saga, and Nagasaki prefectures—a level of warning used only when an amount of rainfall not seen for decades is anticipated.”
Chowdhary continued: “In just a few days, parts of Japan received four times the rainfall typically expected in the whole month of July. Many locations set records for heaviest rainfall during a 24-hour, 48-hour, and 72-hour period.”
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