Japan orders mass evacuation as heavy rain lashes region recovering from earthquake

Noto peninsula is still recovering from a devastating earthquake that killed 370 people early this year

At least one person was killed and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in central Japan as record rainfall lashed the Noto peninsula, which had barely recovered from a devastating earthquake, authorities said on Saturday.

The situation worsened after at least 12 swollen rivers breached their banks on Saturday and burst into city streets in Ishikawa prefecture, land ministry official Masaru Kojima said.

At least one person was killed, two were injured and three were missing in Ishikawa, the regional government said. Two of the missing persons were carried away in the strong river currents, local media reported.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Wajima city in Ishikawa received a record 318.5mm of rainfall from Friday evening through Saturday noon, including 121mm on Saturday morning alone, prompting officials to order the evacuation of around 45,000 residents.

The agency had issued the highest level of heavy rainfall alert in Ishikawa prefecture, including Wajima city.

The neighbouring city of Suzu saw 84.5mm rainfall in an hour on Saturday morning and 226mm in total from Friday evening, a record for the region.

Japanese TV channels showed floodwaters gushing into Wajima’s streets, transforming them into rivers and submerging cars in their way.

The rain also triggered landslides in the region, which was already reeling from the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck in January and left more than 370 people dead, damaged public infrastructure, and disrupted local industry and economy.

The weather agency predicted up to 20cm of rainfall in Ishikawa within the next 24 hours. Nearby northern prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata were also warned of the threat of flooding after heavy rain.

"Heavy rain is hitting the region that was badly damaged by the Noto earthquake, and I believe many people are feeling very uneasy," chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Mr Hayashi said the government "put people’s lives first" and its priority was conducting search and rescue operations.

He called on people in the affected areas to pay close attention to the latest weather and evacuation advisories and take precautions, adding that the military had been dispatched to Ishikawa to help with rescue work.