Torrential rain triggers landslides, floods in eastern Japan, emergency warning still in place

Torrential rain stemming from Typhoon Etau that lashed the eastern seaboard of Japan before crossing central Japan and being downgraded to a tropical depression, caused floods and landslides in its wake Thursday and sparked mass-evacuations from the hardest-hit areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) as early as Wednesday issued an emergency alert for residents living in Tochigi Prefecture, 40 km north of Tokyo and neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture.

The warning was for residents in the areas to be on high alert for flooding and possible landslides with the JMA having expanded its warning for more eastern areas by early Thursday morning, as a landslide destroyed a home in Kanuma city in Tochigi, with rescue workers yet to locate its female occupant.

Next door the Kinugawa River, in Ibaraki, burst its banks at two locations, causing widespread flooding in the area, the JMA said.

The weather agency also said that rain had reached more than 500 millimeters in some parts of Tochigi in 24 hours since its first advisory Wednesday, which is double the usual amount for this time of year. It said that it still expects precipitation of up to 200 mm in Tokyo and its suburbs, with the heavy rain expected to stretch up to the northeast through early Friday morning.

As of 11:20 JST the JMA had in place advisories for the entire country of thunderstorms, heavy rain and high waves in coastal regions, and more serious warnings of heavy rain, floods and thunderstorms in place for regions between Kanto and Tohoku Prefectures.

Following the emergency evacuation of around 90,000 people from their homes in Tochigi, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deployed officials from the necessary government offices to focus on rapid disaster response and safeguarding people's lives. Endi