Photo/Illutration Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki urges local residents to evacuate immediately during a news conference on Aug. 14. (Takahiro Okubo)

HIROSHIMA--The governor of Hiroshima called on residents in municipalities where evacuation orders have been issued to flee by the evening of Aug. 14, saying, “This is the last chance to evacuate.”

Hidehiko Yuzaki issued his desperate plea at a hastily called news conference at 1:30 p.m. as torrential rainfall continued to batter the region.

Hiroshima Prefecture, along with other parts of western Japan, was devastated by heavy rains three years ago. Yuzaki noted that similar damage was possible again because of a stalled front over western Japan.

He warned that landslides may well occur across the prefecture as the amount of rainfall soaking into the ground had reached levels of three years ago.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special heavy rain warning for Hiroshima Prefecture at 12:41 p.m. on Aug. 14 following one at 8:45 a.m. the previous day that was downgraded about four hours later.

Before meeting with reporters, Yuzaki met online with the mayors of 23 municipalities in the prefecture as well as officials of the Hiroshima Local Meteorological Office.

The JMA representative said rainfall would intensify from the evening of Aug. 14 and continue into the night, meaning the danger of landslides would increase as the night wore on.

Yuzaki asked the mayors to urge local residents to evacuate over the next two to three hours.

The JMA said 48-hour rainfall records had been broken at four observation points as of 2 p.m. on Aug. 14.

Related News