THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
July 12, 2021 at 15:42 JST
A flooded street in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, on July 12 (Orina Sakakibara)
Record-setting rains battered Japan's Sanin Region on July 12, starting in the early hours, with towns in eastern Shimane Prefecture and western Tottori Prefecture issuing evacuation and safety alerts.
Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, recorded its most precipitation per hour ever, experiencing 80.5 mm before 8 a.m., according to Tottori and Matsue local meteorological observatories.
In Iinan town’s Akana district in Shimane Prefecture, the rainfall per hour totaled 71.5 mm in the hour until 10 a.m., also the most on record.
Facing a high risk of landslides, officials of Unnan, Shimane Prefecture, issued its highest Level 5 evacuation and safety alert at 10:35 a.m., targeting 13,702 households, or 36,861 people.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is warning people in the region to be on the alert for landslides until the evening.
A Level 4 evacuation and safety alert has been issued in four cities, including Matsue and Izumo, and two towns in Shimane Prefecture, affecting about 100,000 households, or 240,000 people.
In Tottori Prefecture, Nanbu town has issued a Level 4 evacuation alert, targeting 198 households, or 589 people.
Some residents in the cities of Shobara and Miyoshi cities in Hiroshima Prefecture have also been ordered to evacuate.
According to the Yonago Branch of West Japan Railway Co. (JR West), the Sanin Line suspended operations between Hoki Daisen and Hamada stations in the morning.
The Hakubi Line also halted trains between Hoki Daisen and Kamiiwami stations and the Sakai Line did so between Yonago and Sakaiminato stations.
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