Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Unconfirmed number of fatalities in Texas flooding amid catastrophic rainfall. Read here Chevron right
Tropical rainstorm develops off US Atlantic coast. Get details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

94°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

94°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars
Air Quality Alert

News / Severe Weather

Over 60 killed in severe flooding in Japan, with threat of 'unprecedented level' of rain still to come

By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist

Published Jul 6, 2020 5:37 PM EDT

Copied

Around 58 people are believed to be dead after floods swept through Kumamura, Japan, in early July, causing extensive damage to the community.

The death toll continued to rise Friday on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan as tens of thousands of workers continued rescue and recovery efforts after flooding downpours inundated the region.

On Wednesday afternoon, local time, The New York Times reported that at least 58 people had been confirmed dead across the country, many of whom perished on Kyushu Island. Videos and photos of the flood-ravaged region showed widespread devastation.

As of Friday, 60 people have been confirmed dead in Kumamoto Prefecture, 2 in Fukuoka Prefecture and 1 in Oita Prefecture, according to a local report.

Kyushu Island is Japan's third-largest and home to more than 12 million people. Approximately three million of those residents were advised to evacuate.

Space is limited in evacuation centers due to COVID-19 social distancing regulations. While some residents were forced to seek shelter in alternate locations, others opted to register with a shelter but remained in their vehicles awaiting rescue, according to The Japan Times.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

River levels have been rising across the Kumamoto region, and numerous reporting stations have measured rivers at "flood risk levels." Officials are urging residents to remain vigilant as the risk for flooding remains high, according to NHK. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued landslide warnings due to the potential for "an unprecedented level" of rain that could still fall across the islands of Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu, AFP reported.

Flooding in Japan
Twitter

The Kuma River, which flows through the Kumamoto Prefecture and Kuma Village, rose well above its banks on Saturday, washing away at least one bridge and cutting off citizens from rescue crews and causing widespread power outages.

Survivors told harrowing accounts of nearly being swept away in the raging floodwaters and witnessing those who were overcome by the deluge. Keisuke Masuda of Hitoyoshi city said he watched in terror as a neighbor was pulled away by rushing floodwaters.

"He was swept away right before my eyes," Masuda said, according to AFP. The 67-year-old said the neighbor was hanging on to a bush, but eventually lost his grip as the floodwaters proved too powerful. The neighbor, Masuda said, waved goodbye to his wife as the water pulled him away. "I was overcome with a sense of helplessness," Masuda recalled.

The river also flooded the Senja Nursing Home located near its edge, killing a total of 14 residents who were stranded on the lowest level.

The Chikugo River in Fukuoka Prefecture has also flooded a large residential area.

福岡県久留米市 午後2時すぎの映像です。筑後川の沿岸を中心に、住宅地や田畑の広い範囲が水につかっています。https://t.co/zyouf6mrrW pic.twitter.com/NHYnbrTix1

— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) July 8, 2020

The Mayor of Kumamoto urged residents on twitter Tuesday to heed evacuation orders and to be prepared with the risk of flooding likely to continue.

On Thursday, residents of Hitoyoshi, located in Kumamoto, worked to cleanup the debris and thick mud left behind by deadly floodwaters that swept through earlier in the month.

An image from a video published by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) shows a landslide on
Wednesday, July 8, 2020 that occurred in a residential area of Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and covered several houses with mud and trees.

A front is forecast to remain over Japan through at least the start of the weekend. As several storms move along a front, more heavy rain will soak the flood-stricken country.

With rainfall totals of up to 300 mm (12 inches) expected in parts of southwestern Japan, the risk for additional flooding, mudslides and evacuation orders will be likely through Saturday.

The stagnant weather pattern that has led to the devastation in western Japan has been in place since the end of June. The largely stationary front that brings rounds of heavy rain to parts of eastern China during the wet season has moved to the north in recent weeks.

Related:

Japan Weather Homepage
What you should do if you get stuck driving in floodwaters
Deja vu: Flooding, high winds to target storm-weary areas of South America

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Weather News

Wildfires are tearing through a popular tourist hotspot in Greece

Jul. 4, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Storms to spark on July 4th in parts of the Plains and Southeast

2 minutes ago

Severe Weather

Storms kill 3 in New Jersey, knock out power across Northeast

4 hours ago

Hurricane

Tropical rainstorm develops off US Atlantic coast

1 hour ago

Weather News

Fatalities in Texas amid catastrophic rainfall, water rescues

40 minutes ago

Weather Forecasts

Heat, humidity return to the East

1 hour ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather News

‘Shark Whisperer’ swims its way into our shark obsession

1 day ago

Weather News

How to keep pets calm during 4th of July fireworks

1 week ago

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

3 days ago

Weather News

What makes fireworks burst with vibrant colors?

1 week ago

Health

There is no safe amount of processed meat to eat, new research shows

1 day ago

AccuWeather Severe Weather Over 60 killed in severe flooding in Japan, with threat of 'unprecedented level' of rain still to come
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...