Photo/Illutration A woman on July 11 stands in front of what is left of the home in Kuma, Kumamoto Prefecture, where she was born and raised. (Jun Kaneko)

Relentless heavy rains in the Kyushu region are hampering efforts to construct temporary shelter for evacuees and work by volunteers gathered on the main southern island to help local residents rebuild their lives.

Although a week has passed since the first of the torrential downpours inundated Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency forecast more rain through July 12. It also urged residents about the risk of landslides and flooding because the ground in many areas has become loosened by the pounding rainfall.

Heavy rains, coupled with flooding and landslides, were blamed for at least 63 deaths in the three prefectures of Kumamoto, Fukuoka and Oita. Sixteen others were reported as missing. Widespread flooding in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, made it difficult to account for the whereabouts of all residents.

About 10,000 homes in the Kyushu region have been flooded.

On the morning of July 11, construction got under way in Hitoyoshi and Yamae, also in Kumamoto Prefecture, to build 40 temporary housing units.

Authorities said 2,500 residents in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures have fled to evacuation centers. Efforts were continuing to bring some small measure of comfort to the evacuees.

Washing machines and air conditioners were installed at the largest evacuation center in Hitoyoshi, where 1,200 residents are taking shelter.

Self-Defense Forces members set up temporary baths at three of the eight evacuation centers in the city, according to Hitoyoshi city government officials..

But work to rebuild flooded homes remains stalled because of the lack of letup in heavy rain.

Rainfall observation offices set up by the central government led to readings of 77 millimeters in one hour on the morning of July 11 in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, and 74 mm in the village of Itsuki, where a tributary of the Kumagawa river is located.

At 10 a.m. on July 11, residents were warned that the Kumagawa river may again burst its banks.

Takeda in Oita Prefecture recorded 90 mm of rainfall.

“It is painful to watch the delays in work," said a high-ranking official of the Hitoyoshi city government. "It is frustrating because many residents want to clean up as quickly as possible.”

In many areas, the rainfall over the past week was several times the average they could expect for the entire month of July.

According to JMA officials, Kanoya in Kagoshima Prefecture received about 3.2 times the monthly July rainfall, while Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, was hit by about 2.2 times the monthly rainfall figure. Minamata in Kumamoto Prefecture received about 2.1 times the monthly rainfall, while Gero in Gifu Prefecture had about double the monthly rainfall.

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