45,000 People Urged to Evacuate amid Japan ERE

Extreme Rain Events (ERE) Deluge Shimane Prefecture, W.  Japan

Record 470mm of rain has fallen in parts of Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, since Friday. The city of Gotsu received up to 80mm of rain per hour on Saturday, prompting the country’s weather agency (JMA) to urge tens of thousands of residents in the area to evacuate and “take immediate action to protect life.”

The record rainfall was more than twice the average for the whole of August. The rain is expected to reach 250 mm in a 24-hour period through Sunday in the Chugoku area and northern Kyushu, according to JMA.

Local authorities in Shimane and neighboring Yamaguchi Prefecture have urged more than 45,000 people to evacuate due to fear of landslides and overflowing rivers, said NHK.

The heavy rains have damaged the railroads facilities and toppled several buildings in the area.

“Part of a railway bridge was washed away in Kawamoto Town, Shimane, shutting down a route to neighboring Hiroshima Prefecture,” said NHK.

A nondescript photo posted on the NHK website to show the impact of of the extreme rain events in western Japan.

Some parts of the western Japan should expect about 80mm of rain per hour through Sunday, said JMA.