At least 11 people are dead after torrential rain from Typhoon Lionrock left towns flooded across northern Japan.
Typhoon Lionrock made landfall on 30 August near the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, a city known for the damage it suffered during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The 2011 disaster left more than 18,000 people dead along Japan’s northeastern coast.
Lionrock has left thousands of homes without power. Flights have been cancelled and traffic disrupted throughout the northern areas of the country. Evacuation orders have been issued and Japan’s Self-Defense Force have been called in to help rescue and recovery efforts.
Over the next 24 hours rain may still affect several northern parts of the country, and red warnings for floods and landslides are in effect for areas of Iwate and Hokkaido.
Iwate
Nine of the fatalities were elderly residents at a nursing home in the town of Iwaizumi, Iwate prefecture, Honshu island. Local news reports say that the nursing home was buried in mud and flood debris after a nearby river broke its banks.
The body of another victim was found in a separate incident in Iwaizumi. The eleventh victim died in the town of Kuji, also in Iwate prefecture. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA), say that almost 500 homes have been flooded.
According to Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) figures, 106mm of rain fell at Kuji in 24 hours on 30 August, with 81mm falling within 3 hours between 16:00 and 20:00. In Yamagata, 158.5mm of rain fell during 30 August, with 115 mm of it falling within 3 hours between 16:00 and 20:00.
Hokkaido
Severe flooding has also been reported on the island of Hokkaido, where rivers, including the Sorachi, broke their banks. Local media report that the flooding has isolated towns and trapped people in their homes. According to FDMA, one person is still missing in the floods in Hokkaido, where three buildings have been completely destroyed and a further two partially destroyed.
FDMA also report that at least 3 people have been seriously injured as the storm affected other areas of the country, including the prefectures of Aomori, Miyagi, Akita and Fukushima.
