WAJIMA, Ishikawa Pref.: A week after torrential rain hit the northern part of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, many of those afflicted by the disaster remained evacuated, with authorities preparing to help them move into hotels and other secondary evacuation sites amid health concerns.
Some parts of the cities of Wajima and Suzu in Ishikawa are still without water, and there are concerns about disaster-related deaths partly due to deteriorating sanitary conditions.
The death toll from the heavy rain that caused floods and landslides in the peninsula on Sept. 21 stood at 11 as of Friday, according to the Ishikawa prefectural government and other sources.
A total of six people are missing or unaccounted for, and searches continue by fire authorities and prefectural police.
On Saturday, around the Tsukada River in Wajima, where floods washed away multiple houses, some 530 fire and other officials engaged in a search for two people missing in the area, including a 14-year-old junior high school girl. Helicopters, heavy machinery and disaster rescue dogs were also deployed in the hope of finding the missing as soon as possible.
While the problem of isolated settlements caused by landslides has been mostly resolved, restoration of utilities is still an issue, with approximately 4,250 households still without water. A total of 456 people are staying at 27 evacuation centers in Wajima, Suzu and the town of Noto in Ishikawa.
There are growing concerns about infectious diseases and the respiratory effects of dust from the dry mud, as well as psychological damage caused by repeated disasters. The rain disaster occurred after the Noto Peninsula was hit by a deadly 7.6-magnitude earthquake only on Jan. 1.
The prefectural government is conducting a survey to find out whether residents wish to move into secondary evacuation sites and will begin transporting evacuees as early as next week.
In an area in Wajima where the Kawarada River overflowed, the streets were still piled with earth and sand and household goods removed from homes. Ayako Inoko, 77, whose house is right next to the river, was hit by the rain disaster shortly after she decided to repair her house damaged by the New Year’s Day earthquake. “I can’t believe this happened twice in a row. I don’t know what to do,” she said.
JIJI Press