Japan hit with massive flood following Typhoon Etau

Three reported dead, with many still missing.

100,000 people lost their homes when Typhoon Etau brought a flood to Joso, a city located north of Tokyo. Thousands have been evacuated and several people have been reported missing.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - The National Police Agency reported no one has been confirmed dead but at least 12 people have been reported missing and over 600 await rescue.

The Kinugawa river burst its banks in Joso, leading to houses being swept away and a landslide.
A spokesman for operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said the rains have made contaminated water problems at the Fukushima nuclear plant even worse since it has already overridden the site's drainage pumps.

Hundreds of tons of contaminated water have been flowing into the ocean, he said.

News service NHK spoke to several residents who described the alarming rate at which the water rose as well as the frightening landslide.

One man said, "We heard a huge sound like a thunderclap, and then the hillside came down."

"I've never seen the Kinugawa river burst its banks," 63-year-old Akira Yoshihara said.

A man told Fuji TV, "I thought I was safe because I live on a hill, but pretty soon the water came up and everything was washed away."

100,000 people were ordered to leave their homes and over 90,000 people were told to evacuate Tochigi prefecture. NHK reported over 116,000 people were advised to leave their homes.

The Japanese government set up an emergency center and prime minister Shinzo Abe told reporters, "The government will work as one to prioritize the safety of the people and do our best to prevent any further disaster."

55 members of Japan's Self Defense Force worked alongside 12 military helicopters to rescue everyone they could.

Ken Moritsugu, the Associated Press in Japan's bureau chief, told ABC's The World Program:
"The river is flowing directly into one side onto the eastern side of the city and as a result, it will be a while to get rid of the water." 

He added that local authorities were "doing a reasonable jobs, all things considered ... They will have to rebuild the embankment somehow and drain the water out of there. It could easily be at least a week [but] I'm not an expert on this, it could be longer."

Since the 2011 tsunami and earthquake, Japan has focused on disaster prevention and wanted to avoid more criticism of the previous government's slow rescue response.

Typhoon Etau is currently raging in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) but the rains that followed remain. 

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online