KUMAMOTO -- The Kuma River flooded Saturday due to record rainfall in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures, causing extensive damage in the surrounding areas.
Torrential rain had drenched the area since early Saturday, and landslides occurred in areas where special heavy rain warnings were issued. A number of people reported that they have not been able to get in contact with their family members.
A 38-year-old man who farms in the lower reaches of the river in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, said he found shelter in a sturdy two-story building early on Saturday.
"The road in front of this building is flooded with muddy water, and I hear thumps whenever driftwood hits the building," the man said.
His home is in Kumamoto City but he stayed overnight on his farm. He tried to go home at one point when warnings were issued, but the road was blocked and he decided at around 6 a.m. to stay at the farm, waiting in his car for the rain to stop. As the water level increased, however, he fled to the building at about 7 a.m.
"The first floor was flooded in about an hour. The water is rising to the stair landing now," he said.
Some people were standing on their roofs waiting for rescue helicopters. In the afternoon, the weather was improving, but the water level was increasing compared to the morning.
A river flooded near a hospital in the town of Ashikita, Kumamoto Prefecture, inundating the first floor with about 30 centimeters of water. About 120 people living in a nursing home and other facilities run by the town stayed safe by evacuating to the second floor of their facilities or staying on their beds.
Kuma River is a class-A river stretching about 115 kilometers. It originates in the mountain range running through the Kyushu region and flows through Hitoyoshi, the village of Kuma and Yatsushiro into the Yatsushiro Sea. It is one of three major rapids in Japan, and the basin was badly flooded in 1965.
An employee at a hotel located in Kuma, where the river narrows, said she was awakened by the sound of loud rain. The road in front of the hotel was inundated and water flowed inside, so the staff evacuated to the second floor.
"Water came up nearly to the ceiling on the first floor. It happened in a flash. I can't believe it ..." she said.
-- Evacuate amid outbreak
The Japan Meteorological Agency, which issued special heavy rain warnings to Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures, held an emergency press conference at 6 a.m. Saturday, and strongly urged residents to "act to protect your lives."
At the conference, the agency urged residents to evacuate as soon as possible, regardless of designated shelters, to buildings as far away as possible from rivers and cliffs.
The agency also touched on the possibility of heavy rain in other areas and said, "Please follow advisories from your municipalities without waiting for a warning, and ensure your own safety."
For those who are worried about being infected with the new coronavirus at evacuation centers, the agency said, "The local governments concerned have taken measures."
-- Landslides in Shizuoka Pref.
SHIZUOKA -- Torrential rain that lasted from Friday to Saturday caused a series of landslides on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. Mud flowed into a house next to a mountain in the town of Matsuzaki in the prefecture.
According to the prefectural government, the two residents of the house have been evacuated.
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