Heavy rain that started Wednesday kept hitting the western part of the country Thursday, isolating another 180 residents hit by flooding and prompting authorities to urge thousands of locals to evacuate in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The Meteorological Agency warned areas from Kyushu to the Tohoku region were likely to see heavy rain Thursday night, with occasional thunder.
On Thursday, 4 sq. km of flooded streets in Sanyo-Onoda, Yamaguchi Prefecture, were underwater, with local authorities urging 8,000 residents in 3,300 households to evacuate. No injuries were reported, according to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Government.
Self-Defense Forces helicopters and boats engaged in the rescue of seven residents in the Toyoda district of Shimonoseki, after Yamaguchi Gov. Sekinari Nii requested help.
Meanwhile some 500 meters of the Akiyoshido limestone cave, a major tourist spot in Yamaguchi Prefecture was underwater.
