Kumamoto Issues Evacuation Orders Amid Record Heavy Rain, Multiple Missing

Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu island has experienced record-breaking heavy rainfall, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue and then later downgrade its highest-level heavy rain warnings while maintaining a strong alert for flooding and landslides. Multiple municipalities, including Tamana, Uki, Yatsushiro, and Hikawa, have been placed under emergency warnings, with nine cities and towns issuing level 5 evacuation orders, urging about 1,700 residents to seek safe shelter. The torrential downpours have caused widespread flooding and landslides, leading to several people reported missing, including those swept away by rivers and trapped in mudslides. Rescue operations continue amid warnings to exercise extreme caution, especially during evacuation efforts in the dark. The JMA has expanded the warning areas as warm, moist air feeds the rain front, and officials emphasize the urgent need for residents to secure their safety due to rapidly changing and dangerous conditions. The heavy rainfall has also impacted industrial areas, including a location housing a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. factory, underscoring the widespread disruption.