Toyama - Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.
In a mountainous area of Himi, a landslide has made the road leading to a settlement impassable, leaving 22 people in 16 households isolated.
The Toyama Prefecture Drone Supply Transport Association responded on August 30 by using a large drone to carry daily necessities, including toilet paper and disposable diapers, as well as food such as ready-to-eat meals.
The drone traveled about 500 meters in a straight line while covering an elevation difference of 50 meters. Each delivery took about five minutes from departure to unloading, and the drone successfully completed three round trips without problems.
A Himi City official said the technology helped reduce the physical effort required to transport supplies and that the city would consider using drones again in the future.
Meanwhile, recovery work continued in Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, where a community meeting hall was flooded above floor level.
Around 20 residents and volunteers worked to remove mud that had accumulated beneath the floor.
One volunteer said, "I saw that a road I regularly use had been flooded, so I wanted to volunteer here and give something back to a place that has always helped me."
More than 100 volunteers registered with the Hakui City Disaster Volunteer Center over August 29 and August 30, according to the center.
