Eastern Japan has been severely affected by flooding caused by incessant rains. These rains have been attributed to Typhoon Etau, which has dumped more than 60 cm of rainfall over some areas of eastern Japan.
Heavy rains literally washed away houses and forced people to hold on to the rooftops to save their lives. The residents were left stranded after river embankments collapsed. In Joso, which is a city situated north of Tokyo, victims were airlifted by military helicopters. As per the local news reports, the swollen River Keenu breached a levee causing immense damage in the region. Many structures have also been washed away due to the herculean flooding.
According to sources, more than 1,000 houses have been damaged and 21 people have been injured. However, there have been no reports of any casualty. Over 200 victims were waiting to be rescued, out of which, 80 were airlifted by helicopters. Many people were also rescued in boats by firefighters.
In some areas of Tochigi, about 50 cm of rainfall was recorded in a span of 24 hours, which is double the amount of rain received in the entire month of September. In the city of Kanuma, a landslide left one person injured and another missing. Also, the Fukushima prefecture observed about 30 cm of rainfall in a span of 48 hours, which is the heaviest rainfall amounts in last 50 years.
Although, Typhoon Etau has already made landfall over Japan, the risk still remains over many areas of the nation. Around 5 to 10 cm of rain is expected in eastern Japan during the next 36 hours. This increases the risk of more flooding and mudslides.
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