熊本くまもと 大雨おおあめ特別とくべつ警報けいほうから1週間いっしゅうかん 生活せいかつ再建さいけんへ 決きめ細こまかい支援しえんが課題かだい

Due to the influence of the front, record-breaking heavy rain hit Kyushu, and it has been one week since the special heavy rain warning was issued for Kumamoto Prefecture as of the 18th.

In Kyushu, seven people have died so far, one person is missing, and more than 4,300 houses have been damaged. Providing detailed support, such as securing housing and rebuilding lives, has become an issue.

In Kyushu, due to the influence of a weather front, a series of linear rainbands formed, and on the 8th of this month, a special heavy rain warning was issued for Kirishima City in Kagoshima Prefecture. On the 11th, a special warning was also issued for seven cities and towns in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Due to this heavy rain, seven people have died so far. By prefecture, the breakdown is: four men and women in their 50s to 70s in Kumamoto Prefecture, two men and women in their 70s in Fukuoka Prefecture, and one woman in her 30s in Kagoshima Prefecture.

Also, the whereabouts of a man in his 60s in Kumamoto Prefecture are unknown.

Damaged houses have been reported one after another, and the number of homes affected by above-floor and below-floor flooding has exceeded 4,300 in total across the three prefectures of Kumamoto, Kagoshima, and Fukuoka. As of 3 p.m. on the 17th in Kumamoto Prefecture, 81 people are taking shelter in evacuation centers in eight cities and towns.

In Kami-Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, even on the 17th, work to clean up damaged homes continued under the severe heat, and there were voices of concern from disaster victims about securing housing and rebuilding their lives.

The affected municipalities are continuing to assess the actual extent of the damage, and as the impact drags on, providing detailed support—such as securing housing for those affected, helping them rebuild their lives, and caring for their physical and mental well-being—has become a key issue.

Voices of concern from disaster victims: In Kami-Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, where record-breaking heavy rain on the 11th of this month caused a series of flooding damages to homes, cleanup efforts continued on the 17th, and affected residents have expressed worries about rebuilding their lives and securing housing.

In Kumamoto Prefecture, due to record-breaking heavy rain, more than 3,300 houses have been flooded in 10 cities and 10 towns so far. Of these, in Kami-Amakusa City, 619 houses have suffered above-floor or below-floor flooding.

On the 17th as well, cleanup of houses damaged by the disaster continues in Kami-Amakusa City under the severe heat.

Of these, Yoshito Okabe 62 from the Imaizumi area of Matsushima Town has been forced to stay in accommodations and other facilities while working to clean up, as his home was flooded above the first-floor level.

He also said that the barbershop he runs was flooded with more than one meter of water and is now unable to operate, so he is feeling anxious about how he will manage his life going forward.

Mr. Okabe said, All the furniture was ruined.

Since the barbershop was damaged by the disaster, I have no income.

I’m most anxious right now about when I’ll be able to return to work, they said.

Yuriko Tanaka 77, who also lives in the same area, had her two-story house flooded above floor level.

My house has been flooded with muddy water, so I feel that its going to be difficult to live there for the time being. I plan to rent an apartment in the city and live there instead.

Mr. Tanaka said, Since this entire area was flooded above floor level, many people were looking for apartments, and securing a place to live was difficult.