OSAKA, JAPAN (July 13, 2018) – No Japan Covenant Churches have been directly affected by the recent historic flooding that has claimed the lives of at least 200 people in western Japan, although it is likely that at least some members have family in the area.
The rains struck a week ago.
According to government officials, more than 70,000 rescuers are searching for dozens of missing people in the affected regions, including the hardest-hit prefectures of Okayama and Ehime. Roughly 7,000 people remained in shelters as of noon yesterday. At one point, more than 30,000 people had been evacuated.
It is the worst weather disaster to hit the region in 30 years. Many locations suffered record rainfall over 24-hour, 48-hour, and 72-hour periods, as well as landslides caused by the rain.
Blistering heat reaching 95 degrees is now compounding problems including health concerns for residents. About 200,000 people remain without water.
Watch a brief video about the disaster.
