Society

Storms in Akita leave nearly 500 houses flooded but no deaths

Jul 25 (Japan Times) - Torrential rain over the weekend has left at least 485 houses flooded in Akita Prefecture and more than 20,000 residents under evacuation orders, the prefectural government said Monday.

No injuries or deaths, however, have been reported, the prefectural government said.

Part of the Akita Shinkansen Line was suspended Monday due to track damage caused by the weather, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said.

The Meteorological Agency predicted more intermittent heavy rain and thunder for the Tohoku region and the Hokuriku region along the Sea of Japan coast through Tuesday, due to a stalled rain front.

From Saturday to Sunday, over 300 mm of rain had been observed at multiple locations including the cities of Akita and Yokote.

In Daisen, one of the hardest-hit areas, an evacuation order for about 21,000 people - affecting some 8,200 households - remained in place.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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