Heavy rain has caused further devastation in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, following a major earthquake on New Year’s Day. The torrential rainfall led to rivers overflowing and landslides occurring, resulting in multiple fatalities and people reported missing. The earthquake had already caused significant damage to the Okunoto region, which includes the cities of Wajima and Suzu, as well as the towns of Anamizu and Noto. In these four municipalities alone, 336 people lost their lives and 25,008 houses were destroyed or damaged. As heavy rain continued to fall, some damaged roofs were still covered with blue sheets.
The impact of the rainfall was evident in Wajima where residential areas became flooded with water on Saturday. Driftwood and other debris filled the streets of Wajima on Sunday due to the forceful flow of water. In Suzu, a house tilted into muddy water as a result of the heavy rain.
The combination of earthquake damage followed by severe flooding has left residents devastated. A 73-year-old woman living in Noto experienced her quake-damaged home being flooded after rainwater seeped through cracks in its walls. She expressed her despair at facing such consecutive disasters: “Things are as bad as they could get with the earthquake, and then this.”
Emergency services received a distress call from Wajima reporting that a man had been swept away while inside his car on Saturday. Fortunately, he managed to cling onto a tree and utility pole until rescuers arrived by boat.
Efforts are underway to restore infrastructure affected by landslides caused by both earthquakes and heavy rainfall. Restoration work is being carried out on roads buried under landslides in Wajima while members of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have been deployed for rescue operations.
The situation remains challenging for those affected by these natural disasters as they continue to grapple with ongoing recovery efforts amidst unpredictable weather conditions.
