KUMAMOTO, Japan — Japanese authorities issued urgent evacuation orders for over three million residents in the country’s southwest on Monday as torrential rains unleashed widespread flooding and landslides, leaving at least three people missing and communities reeling from the destruction.
In Kumamoto prefecture, the hardest-hit region, television footage captured scenes of chaos: homes, shops, and vehicles submerged in nearly a meter of murky water. Surging rivers swept away cars and eroded roads, paralyzing transportation networks and isolating neighborhoods. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that Tamana city in Kumamoto saw an unprecedented 37 centimeters of rain in just six hours through early Monday, shattering local records.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said evacuation advisories and warnings covered millions across southwestern Japan, with 384,000 residents, primarily in Kumamoto, facing the highest-level evacuation alert, signaling imminent danger to life. Authorities urged residents to seek safety in shelters or higher ground as rivers overflowed and hillsides gave way.
In Kosa town, Kumamoto, a father went missing early Monday after a landslide struck near his home while he stood outside his vehicle, according to a local official. His wife and two children, who remained inside the car, were unharmed. Rescue teams in Misato town, also in Kumamoto, scrambled to reach an elderly man trapped in his home after it was hit by a landslide, a town official reported. Meanwhile, in Fukuoka city, two people were reportedly swept away by a raging river on Sunday and remained unaccounted for, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The relentless downpours, fueled by a slow-moving weather system, have overwhelmed infrastructure and stretched emergency services thin. Rescuers worked through treacherous conditions to locate the missing and assist stranded residents, while authorities warned that more rain was expected, raising fears of further devastation.
As the region braces for additional rainfall, the focus remains on saving lives and mitigating the impact of one of the worst natural disasters to strike southwest Japan in recent years.
