At least a dozen rivers reportedly burst their banks in Ishikawa, where the meteorological agency has raised its highest alert level.
Japan has ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate the quake-stricken region of Ishikawa as “unprecedented” rains trigger floods and mudslides.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued its highest alert level for Ishikawa and reported two missing people due to flooding in the prefecture’s Wajima city, according to public broadcaster NHK.
A central Japan region quaked on the first day of the new year, leaving at least 236 dead. Among the most brutal hit were Wajima and Suzu, cities in the Noto peninsula; the fire department reported several rescue calls there.
Officials said about 44,700 people have already been ordered to evacuate from Wajima, Suzu, and Noto towns.
Unprecedented levels of heavy rain are hitting areas under the warning, said JMA forecaster Satoshi Sugimoto, who added, “It is a situation in which you have to secure your safety immediately.”
The agency said another 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa were also ordered to evacuate.
Hourly rainfall hit a record 121mm (4.8 inches) on Saturday morning in Wajima while its neighbor Suzu saw 84.5mm in an hour at an all-time high.
Video footage aired by NHK TV showed brown floodwaters turning streets into rivers in Wajima, with cars half submerged.
According to the Land and Infrastructure Ministry, at least 12 rivers in Ishikawa breached their banks on Saturday.
Officials of a power company said that nearly 6,000 households in Ishikawa were left without electricity, NHK reported.
Weather agency officials have warned people in the affected areas to exercise “maximum caution” amid flooding and said possible mudslides could be “life-threatening.”
