Video: Deadly floods follow ‘unprecedented’ rain in Japan – 50,000 flee in Kyushu
By Jim Andrews, AccuWeather.com
13 July 2012 At least fifteen people have been killed by flooding and landslides as unprecedented rainfall continues to pound southwestern Japan. A further 11 people were missing in parts of the region, according to Fox News. About 48,000 people were ordered to flee the city of Kumamoto. Blackouts hit thousands of homes and transportation infrastructure suffered disruption. Meteorologists of the Japan Meteorological Agency were quoted as saying that rainfall in parts of Kyushu reached levels that have “never been experienced”. The BBC News website called the rainfall, reportedly as high as 507 mm (20.0 inches) within 24 hours, “unprecedented”. On Friday, data accessed by Accuweather.com indicated additional rainfall as high as 11 cm (4.39 inches) fell across the region while most locations averaged an additional 1-3 cm (0.50-1 inch) of rain. Unfortunately, unsettled conditions are expected to continue across the region through the weekend with additional scattered showers and even a few thunderstorms.
Meteorologist Steve Travis contributed to this story.
