Heavy Rain Drags Northern Japan Into a Wet Respite
Floods and Bridges Sink, While the Shinkansen Hitches a Ride
In a dramatic turn of events, at least three people went missing as northern Japan’s streets turned into rivers on Thursday, August 4th. Authorities were left scrambling to keep everyone safe after a deluge that dumped over 500 millimetres (about 19 inches) of water in just 24 hours in a slice of Niigata.
Picture this: bridges snapped into pieces, roads turned into muddy tunnels, and the shiny Shinkansen train line had to pause for a second—because, let’s face it, trains don’t like splashing.
Mass Evacuation Across Three Prefectures
Fire and Disaster Management officials warned residents in Niigata, Ishikawa, and Yamagata to leave their homes. Roughly half a million people were ordered to evacuate:
- Niigata – 200,000
- Ishikawa – 150,000
- Yamagata – 150,000
Thankfully, no immediate reports of fatalities surfaced, but the mood is a mix of relief and lingering worry.
Factory Grind Hits the Fast Lane
Even the rural landscapes that dot the region aren’t untouched. Renesas Electronics Corp. temporarily shut down their Yamagata factory after the rain warning, though most of the production line is back on track. Meanwhile, Technoflex Corporation paused operations at its Murakami plant, citing power outages and a full-on flood that needed a steady hand before kicking back into action.
In short, Japan’s northern region is busy learning to dance with a tidal wave—safely, if you follow the evacuation orders!
