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Death toll rises to 56 as rain damage widens in southwest Japan

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Japan needs some break from natural disasters. It is even a double-whammy with the covid-19.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Huge thanks to emergency workers and SDF, it can't be easy work. Think these evacuation centres need a overhaul. There are plenty of empty hotel rooms. Having to relocate to a school gym with only a cardboard wall, sleeping on the floor just seems to compound the stress these people are experiencing. Plenty of money for usless masks, usless missle defence, but not enough to house the very people who paid for the lashings of waistful spending by the Government.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

The whole country has been wet, but some places are getting phenomenal amounts of rain. It's been raining for days, so the ground in inundated already.

When shown photos of people in a sports hall, it's easy to be critical, but this amount of rain would be a major disaster anywhere. Those people are safe and being looked after. Some will have mobility issues and no family nearby. You can't plan on disasters occurring when your local hotel happens to be empty.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

What a bad year seriously and we are just half way done...

Anyway, hope all those people will get support from the government, they lost everything, they can't be left like this for weeks, I hope at least there will be a plan to relocate them somewhere until reconstruction, why not using the Olympic village for example ? It's not like it will be used for the next month to come.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Criticism is the only road to improvement. Without it its stagnation. Which seems to be the norm. These people need support and comefort a card board wall a futon in a gym is not what one would expect from the 3rd biggest economy in the world.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The SDF, rescue worker/ services deserve the full acknowledgment and recognition for preventing a disaster turning into an even more devastating catastrophe.

Although the families of the 54 suffered a crushing loss.

Since returning from Nagoya 1st July, Ino, Kochi has been subject to continuous torrential downpours. This morning presented a much-needed break so to complete an early morning walk/exercise.

A close community spirit is key to aiding an additional volunteer force to provide ferry services for food delivers and welfare for our aging agricultural farming fraternity. I an honoured to be part of the team.

Under the circumstances the photo presents/illustrates a remarkable achievement, when considering the logistics.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Sorry correction 56, not 54.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Those dividers look like they're cardboard. No privacy once one of them stand up.

I'm aware this is an emergency, but is this really the best that can be done?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Hotels lol. Genius

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Under the circumstances the photo presents/illustrates a remarkable achievement, when considering the logistics.

Remarkable was exactly the word that first came to mind

3 ( +4 / -1 )

These situations are far from ideal, but the problem is that a lot of these areas are isolated and largely rural - and while it may be hard to imagine from the comfort of cities, there aren't always hotels nearby, not even love hotels. There are always schools and/or community halls. I'm not sure any nation can manage to put up vast numbers of people in individual rooms during a disaster situation, which by its very nature tends to come on suddenly. Then there's the logistical challenge of moving vast numbers of people away from a dangerous location under conditions that may be dangerous in and of themselves. Also, a lot of these folks are older and may refuse to leave.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Japan seems to be a disaster magnet these days, but for all the country's faults, they do a pretty good job at cleanup and recovery - probably despite the central government's efforts rather than because of them (not including the SDF's on-site work). If you have to be in a disaster-struck country, Japan would be among the top picks.

It can be hard to fathom how much rain there's been unless you're in amongst it. The sheer power of the water just washing away bridges like they're made of matchsticks is fascinating to watch.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If you think about the logistics this is pretty impressive actually. While the cardboard is for COVID it's better than only beds. Also thanks to the SDF and volunteers and emergency staff as posted above.

Hope Japan will plant more trees and use the floods as plans for rebuilding more emergency flood plains and general better city design

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Under the circumstances the photo presents/illustrates a remarkable achievement, when considering the logistics.

Oh really. Flooding due to the rainy season happens almost every year in Kyushu with varying consequences. The last decade alone has seen several major disasters there, not mentioning other regions in Japan. And so the best they can come up after years of experience is putting people between cardboards (regardless of the virus situation)? This just does not show well for the so-called modern Japan and qualifying this as a remarquable achievement is just short thinking.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Well what have you come up with? =)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Japan is a very social society. As a long-term resident of Kumamoto, I've been evacuated a few times, and as long as the duration is not prolonged, being in close quarters is actually rather comforting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The J central government spent over 270 billion yen on flood protection infrastructure 2018 alone. In 2019 a 16.5% increase in for emergency power/energy generation facilities in multiple high-risk locations of flooding.

A 14.5% increase in power equipment to operate floodgates. 12.5% increase drainage pumps stations and a comprehensive review river control facility.

How much at a guess was allocated to surveying control facilities at dams?.......

And yes, cardboard maybe not the most congenital means of providing privacy. But I am sure as a alternative to drowning or have to be rescued buried under a landslide, cardboard is king.

daito_hak…….

Over theses past few weeks I have been accused of a lot worse than short thinking, reflected in the fact I lost staff to this pandemic. Those families were incandescent. I could have stopped them from traveling to Italy. I didn't.

So short thinking is a compliment in comparison.

Japan spends more in flood risk management than the top 5 OECD countries combined.  

Short of implementing some celestial umbrella, I am sure that cardboard partitions will suffice.   

OECD Studies in Risk Management Japan FLOODS

https://www.oecd.org/japan/37378001.pdf

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Note: the OECD study was commissioned 2006 and investment numbers double every 2 years.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So the government spent millions¥ and sleeping on a thin mat in a school gymnasium is the result? All those millions were misappropriated now that's a Suprise! But I'm sure someone is comefortable. For the 3rd biggest economy in the WORLD ( before Abe 2nd) can't believe Japan can't do better than cardboard. Bet they get taxed on their non existing property too. Nothing like salt in an open wound to wake you up.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I wish every one safe and I pray not to happen such incidents again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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