Photo/Illutration A temporary housing complex in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, built for those displaced by the Noto Peninsula earthquake and subsequent torrential rain (Shintaro Shiiki)

The last remaining evacuation shelters set up in Ishikawa Prefecture last year are scheduled to close on April 13, signaling a new phase for the region hit by two disasters in 2024.

More than 20,000 evacuees have relocated to more stable temporary housing mainly on the Noto Peninsula, which was devastated by the New Year’s Day earthquake last year and severe flooding in autumn.

The focus is now shifting to helping them return to their homes, rebuild or settle into new permanent housing.

Sanzo Hoshiba, 91, and his wife moved into a temporary housing unit in Wajima on April 6.

His home was severely damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. He returned three months later after repairing the house, only to be displaced again in September when nearby roads collapsed due to heavy rainfall.

The couple spent more than six months living in a local school gymnasium.

“I feel relieved,” Hoshiba said with a smile. His son’s family, also affected by the disasters, now lives in the same temporary housing complex.

Typically set up in school gymnasiums and community centers, the evacuation shelters provided limited comfort and privacy.

The magnitude-7.6 earthquake on Jan. 1 last year forced around 40,000 residents to evacuate to these and other places. More than 34,000 people sought refuge in local emergency shelters immediately after the disaster, according to the prefecture.

Over the following nine months, that number gradually dropped to 268.

However, an additional 1,453 people were displaced on Sept. 22 after torrential rains flooded the region.

All evacuees from the earthquake had left the shelters by April 1. As of April 8, the remaining 15 flood evacuees were preparing to leave their shelters in Wajima.

Due to the heavy rain that struck communities recovering from quake damage, it took 15 months to relocate all evacuees to more adequate private housing--longer than in past disasters in Japan.

The relocation period was seven months after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, 10 months after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and seven months after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes.

According to Ishikawa Prefecture, all planned temporary housing units have been completed, with more than 13,900 people already settled in.

Separately, more than 6,900 people have moved into existing private apartments rented by local authorities.

In addition, more than 1,200 people have found temporary homes in existing public housing units both within and outside the prefecture.

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