Early Typhoon Brings Torrential Rains and Deadly Flooding to Japan · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Caption: “Record-Breaking Rain In Kyushu — 7 dead in Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures.” Screencap from ANN News Network official YouTube channel.
At least seven people are dead and dozen are missing, and at least 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes following “once in a lifetime” torrential rains in Japan since July 4 in the wake of Tropical Storm Nanmadol and a seasonal rain front that continues to hang over the western Japanese island of Kyushu. With dozens still missing and rains forecasted to continue into the weekend, the death toll will likely rise.
Downpours of at least 55 centimeters have been recorded in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, since Wednesday, July 5—about 50 percent more than usual for the month of July. So far the hardest-hit communities have been Asakura in Fukuoka Prefecture, where at six are dead following landslides, and Hita, in neighboring Oita Prefecture, where flooding has swept away roads and railway lines and left hundreds stranded.
九州北部地方は局地的に記録的な大雨となりました。気象庁は特別警報（大雨）を、福岡県内１６市町村と大分県内１５市町に発令しました。気象庁によると九州で特別警報を発令するのは２０１３年に運用が始まってから初めてです→https://t.co/bhtOAnonLb pic.twitter.com/xKh7onroNO
— 毎日新聞写真部 (@mainichiphoto) July 5, 2017
Localities in northern Kyushu are all receiving record amounts of precipitation. A special weather warning from Japan's national meteorological service has been issued for 16 communities in Fukuoka and 15 in Oita. This is the first time a special weather warning has ever been issued for Kyushu since the warning was put into effect in 2013.
As torrential, record-breaking rains continued throughout the week, the military was mobilized in order to evacuate thousands, and search for survivors.
【豪雨 6000人規模で救助本格化】福岡・大分両県では早朝から自衛隊、警察、消防が救出活動を本格化。陸自が福岡県朝倉市で豪雨で孤立した地区の救助活動を開始。 https://t.co/kiEFevQUXX
— Yahoo!ニュース (@YahooNewsTopics) July 5, 2017
Rescue and relief operation out into place to help 6,000 affected by flooding — In the early hours of July 5, police, military and fire rescue personnel have been deployed in rescue operation. Japanese Land Self-Defense Forces have begun operations to help people stranded due to heavy flooding in Asakura City, in Fukuoka.
A challenge in the initial days was that the chaos of widespread flooding made rescuing survivors difficult.
大雨による被害で、
福岡県朝倉市山田の実家と会社が大変なことになってます。
近所の家はほとんど流されてます。
工場の二階に7人避難出来ずに取り残されてます！
地元の消防は来れないと…
どうにか助けてもらえないでしょうか pic.twitter.com/ZKlAR8SBhH
— ぴこ (@ek2eoiNcRUqmnMI) July 5, 2017
Daily life has been disrupted in Yamada, in Asakura City in Fukuoka Prefecture. Houses in my neighborhood have mostly been swept away. Seven people who have taken refuge on the second story of a factory here have been unable to be evacuated and have been left behind. If the local firefighters can't get in… I just hope someone can help us.
【更新】福岡県警「６人の安否不明」　九州北部で記録的大雨：朝日新聞デジタル https://t.co/AseOsIJFZc pic.twitter.com/DzKizBNjKB
— 朝日新聞デジタル編集部 (@asahicom) July 5, 2017
UPDATE: 6 missing — Fukuoka Police. Northern Kyushu receives record-breaking rain.
中国に続き九州で２度目の「線状降水帯」形成　大分県にも大雨特別警報　「これほどの大雨珍しい」 https://t.co/zToE2fDWtc pic.twitter.com/OkYqe8XUEQ
— 産経ニュース (@Sankei_news) July 5, 2017
Western Honshu and Kyushu experience another round of heavy rain fronts as Oita issues a warning of torrential rains. “This amount of rain is very rare.”
Some of the most striking images of the disaster came from Yamada, in the city of Asakura, in Fukuoka Prefecture. Raging rivers swept piles of debris into the center of the community, blocking roads and hampering rescue operations.
https://t.co/g7MryzzSST
福岡県朝倉市の山田地区。国道３８６号線には流木が散乱しています。（啓）#大雨 #朝倉市 #福岡 pic.twitter.com/C0juaXAcj0
— 朝日新聞 映像報道部 (@asahi_photo) July 5, 2017
Yamada Ward, in Asakura City in Fukuoka. Route 386 has been blocked by flood-borne logs and driftwood.
In Oita Prefecture, a rail line and bridges were washed away, and thousands of residents were left stranded.
数十年に１度、３０万人超に避難…子供ら６人が不明か　九州北部の大雨で福岡の朝倉市・うきは市・久留米市 – 産経ニュース https://t.co/RpABhpt3pC @SankeiNews_WESTさんから pic.twitter.com/BzUrPelx4w
— 産経ニュースＷＥＳＴ (@SankeiNews_WEST) July 5, 2017
As a result of once in a lifetime flooding, more than 300,000 people have been evacuated and 6 children are missing. Flooding in northern Kyushu hits Asakura, Uki, Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture.
The rains affected northern Kyushu the most, where some areas in Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures (shaded in purple in the map in the tweet below) received over 50 centimeters of precipitation.
【大分】県内でも19:55に大雨特別警報が発表されました。https://t.co/Atn6m2XHna pic.twitter.com/GKmvSW8UOc
— ウェザーニュース (@wni_jp) July 5, 2017
Oita: As of 19:55 (on July 5), a special warning for torrential rains has been announced.
The weather pattern was extremely unusual for Japan, combining the effects of the seasonal rain front and the remnants of a large tropical storm to drop torrents of rain on Kyushu.
【豪雨 1万5000mの巨大積乱雲】九州北部を襲った豪雨では、福岡県朝倉市の上空に巨大な積乱雲が連続して発生していた。線状降水帯が長時間とどまり被害拡大か。 https://t.co/KoGIexkPsX
— Yahoo!ニュース (@YahooNewsTopics) July 7, 2017
Giant cumulonimbus clouds 15 kilometers high deliver torrential rains — As northern Kyushu is assaulted by torrential rains, a procession of giant cumolonimbus clouds appear over Asakura City. There are worries that (continual) bands of heavy precipitation will increase destruction from flooding.
By Friday, July 7, as the rains continued, so did rescue operations in a desperate struggle to find survivors of mud slides and flooding.
記録的な #豪雨 に見舞われた福岡、大分両県では６日、自衛隊や消防などが不明者の捜索や住民の救助活動を続けました。写真は福岡県 #朝倉市 です。（撮影・遠藤望）＜尚＞https://t.co/zTP6VrYI42 pic.twitter.com/r6hLvH0sSj
— 共同通信写真部 (@kyodo_photo) July 6, 2017
As Fukuoka and Oita continued to experience record-breaking flooding on July 6, search-and-rescue operations by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and emergency personnel continued. This photograph was taken in Asakura City, in Fukuoka.
大きな #被害 が出ています。写真は福岡県 #朝倉市 #杷木 で撮影。 #赤谷川 が流木や土砂で埋まっています。（６日午後、大久保忠司撮影） 記事はこちらです→
豪雨で６人死亡、４人不明…ほかにも複数不明か https://t.co/NptbtBOabA #水害 pic.twitter.com/FtE505yKDx
— 読売新聞写真部 (@tshashin) July 6, 2017
It's become apparent there has been massive destruction. This photograph was taken in Haki, in Asakura City in Fukuoka Prefecture. The Akatani River has carried along the aftermath of a mudslide and flooding debris.
As of Friday, July 7, rain was still forecast for Kyushu and western Japan.
【きょうの天気は？】西日本では大雨になる所があるでしょう。九州や中国、四国は雨が降ったりやんだりで、九州を中心に非常に激しい雨が降りそうです。土砂災害や低い土地の浸水、川の氾濫などに、引き続き警戒してください。（7日 6:06 更新） pic.twitter.com/c6X9xXarC1
— ＮＨＫ生活・防災 (@nhk_seikatsu) July 6, 2017
What's today's weather? Parts of western Japan will see heavy rains. Kyushu and the Chugoku region, and Shikoku will patches of rain; central Kyushu will see extremely heavy rain. Warnings have been continued for landslides, lowland flooding and cresting rivers.