Photo/Illutration Temporary housing units are inundated by heavy rainfall in central Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Sept. 21. (Mayumi Ueda)

Authorities issued a special heavy rainfall warning Sept. 21 for the northern Noto district of Ishikawa Prefecture followed by reports that one person had died, three were missing and two others seriously injured.

The alert is the highest of five warning levels.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said record-breaking rainfall had occurred across the peninsula, which is still grappling with the aftermath of a magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day, leaving hundreds homeless.

City fire department officials in the Okunoto area said cliffs collapsed in Wajima, resulting in two cases of people being buried alive.

Authorities said contact was lost with four workers involved in tunnel restoration work in Wajima.

Temporary housing for earthquake victims was also flooded above floor level, and firefighters received numerous calls for rescue, according to Noto reconstruction office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Special heavy rain warnings were issued for the cities of Wajima, Suzu and Noto. The 24-hour precipitation amounts through 4 p.m. on Sept. 21 were 351.0 millimeters for Wajima and 257.0 mm in Suzu. Both figures represent the heaviest rainfalls since 1976.

As of 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, evacuation orders were issued for a total of 49,896 people: 33,700 in Ishikawa Prefecture, 14,733 in Yamagata Prefecture and 1,463 in Niigata Prefecture, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,.

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