Japan flooding news: Third emergency warning issued as flooding and landslides spread across the north
On Friday morning, Japanese officials issued a third emergency weather warning as torrential rains swept through the north after first bringing unexpected rainfall on several parts of eastern Japan Wednesday and Thursday.
According to The Weather Channel, thousands of buildings have been flooded and the rains have caused at least 60 landslides on various parts of the small country.
Multiple outlets report that at least 25 people are missing and one person has been killed, while 27 others are injured, as rains smashed through structures and roads on Wednesday. The strong winds have caused chaos on roads as people struggled to get to safety.
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On Thursday, weather stations and live television broadcasts released dramatic videos showing helicopter rescues. One clip showed people getting into helicopters as raging floodwaters swept through the northern Tokyo neighborhood of Joso.
Other videos taken by residents have also gone viral on social media wherein waters can be seen surging over the Kinugawa river and spewing all over Joso, swamping the city that housed more than 65,000 people.
Whole houses were being swept away by the torrents, as residents relived the memories of the devastating tsunami that crushed the highly technological country's north-east coast way back 2011.
According to ABC News, more than 100,000 residents have been ordered to move out of their homes. Within the Tochigi prefecture, more than 90,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, while another 116,000 in neighboring areas were advised to move to safer locations.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe said in a meeting with reporters that the government has set up an emergency center as the "unprecedented" rains have forced the authorities to announce an emergency.
"The government will work as one to prioritize the safety of the people and do our best to prevent any further disaster," Abe said.
Around 55 members of the Japanese military have taken part in the rescue operations, while up to 12 helicopters have been deployed solely for getting residents stuck on roofs into safer areas.
