Record-level heavy rains have continued over a wide area of the Japanese archipelago. A number of people have died in the Kyushu region as a result. Residents in rain-hit areas are required to remain on full alert against landslides and the flooding of rivers.
It has been a week since heavy rains began, causing damage in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures. Extremely heavy rains have spread across the Kyushu region, causing inundation and damage in Gifu and Nagano prefectures too. With the seasonal rain front expected to remain stationary over the coming days, it is feared heavy rain will hit many parts of the nation.
The Kyushu region is hit by heavy rain almost every year during this season. The weather is caused by linear precipitation bands under which a series of cumulonimbus clouds generated by warm, moist air flowing in toward the seasonal rain front bring torrential rains. It tends to occur during the rainy season when the temperature rises, mostly affecting land facing the sea.
If signs of the occurrence of linear precipitation bands could be detected, it would make it possible for residents in affected areas to evacuate at an early stage, but making predictions is still difficult. This is because the size of the bands is smaller than typhoons and seasonal rain fronts, and they occur suddenly. Relevant organizations are required to proceed with research to come up with effective predictions.
Most victims who perished in this latest disaster were elderly people living in areas along the Kuma River that runs through southern Kumamoto Prefecture. They did not have enough time to evacuate due to a sudden increase in rainfall and died as a result of inundation and landslides. The rain fell particularly heavily from the middle of the night to early in the morning, and this also played a part in delays in evacuation.
It has to be said that, once again, the incident has highlighted the importance of prompt evacuation. In the case of elderly people especially, it is also necessary for people around them to be aware that taking action at an early stage will lead to the protection of their lives.
Fourteen people died at a special nursing home for the elderly located near a tributary of the Kuma River. Facility staff had compiled evacuation plans and conducted drills in advance, but were unable to prevent casualties. Muddy water flooded into the building as the staff and neighboring residents were trying to carry wheelchair users to the second floor.
There was reportedly no ramp connecting the first and second floors of the building. Similar facilities have ramps installed that can be fixed to the staircase so that wheelchairs can be smoothly carried up and down the stairs.
Facilities for the elderly and the disabled should be prepared as much as possible based on scenarios for various disasters.
The inundation of the nursing home is believed to have been caused by a backwater effect in which water from the tributary of the Kuma River surged following a rise in the main river's water levels. This also occurred in the torrential rains that hit western Japan two years ago. It is important for facilities located near rivers to understand the danger of this effect.
Moving to safer locations could be an option for facilities whose staff and operators find it difficult to promptly evacuate their residents in the event of disasters.
A matter of concern is living in evacuation centers.
Many people in rain-hit areas have had their homes damaged by earth, sand and muddy water. It is not easy for them to rebuild their lives, and there is a possibility that they may have to stay in evacuation centers for a long time. In the peak of summer, the risk of heatstroke increases. The hope is that evacuees will try to maintain their health by drinking plenty of fluids and exercising regularly.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on July 11, 2020.
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