Jul 11, 2020 (NHK) - People in many parts of Japan are preparing for a wet and possibly dangerous weekend as weather officials warn of more heavy rain. The extreme weather has left more than 60 people dead and over a dozen missing over the past week.
Heavy rain continues to pound parts of the southwestern island of Kyushu due to a seasonal rain front hovering over Japan.
The region has borne the brunt of the damage.
Flooded rivers inundated thousands of buildings including hospitals and clinics.
The water reached a height of 2.5 meters inside Kuma hospital, damaging radiological equipment and patients' records.
The bad weather has been hampering emergency medical workers.
When helicopters cannot be used, they have to transport people by land. They also have to take precautions against the coronavirus.
People at evacuation shelters also have to heed the risk of infection.
More than 11,000 houses have been flooded or damaged across Japan. Officials are still trying to get a full picture of the destruction.
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says police, firefighters and Self-Defense Force personnel have rescued more than 2,300 people.
He said, "I want officials to do all they can to save lives, search for missing people and help those who live in areas cut off by the disaster."
Abe says the central government plans to provide local authorities with funds to help them rebuild affected areas.
