Death toll from Yamaguchi mudslides, heavy rain reaches 7

Wednesday 22nd July, 11:54 AM JST

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12 Comments

ca1ic0cat at 08:32 PM JST - 21st July

I would suggest some stimulus money to the construction companies to start shoring up the places where mudslides are a threat to buildings. This kind of tragedy is very avoidable.
Apsara at 09:59 PM JST - 21st July

Start shoring up the areas where mudslides are a threat? Construction companies have been doing that here for years- have a look around at all the concrete-coated hillsides next time you go anywhere even slightly mountainous. Obviously they can't cover the whole country in concrete though, although they have been trying their best.
smithinjapan at 10:29 PM JST - 21st July

The mudslides, I can see. But carried away by swollen rivers?? C'mon! Stop swimming in such dangerous areas, people!
elbudamexicano at 11:08 PM JST - 21st July

This crazy weather can happen anywhere, anytime, today Yamaguchi, next your own hometown so just count your blessings!
Fadamor at 02:23 AM JST - 22nd July

Alright before any more uninformed ranting occurs...

Mudslides can occur anywhere the combination of hills and heavy rain meet. You are NOT going to be able to shore-up a hillside to prevent a mudslide. I was part of a damage assessment crew in upstate New York when the entire side of a hill gave away and demolished two houses. Even if they had ran support footers 40 meters underground ahead of time, the mudslide still would hve happened. That's how much of the hill gave away.

Unless they're insane, people don't try to swim in swollen rivers. A lot of deaths happen when someone tries to drive through water coming over the road and the vehicle gets swept away. The victim either drowns in the car or manages to escape and dies from blunt force impact when they are swept into stationary objects.
Apsara at 10:05 AM JST - 22nd July

When the Tama or Aramawa rivers in Tokyo flood it is usually homeless people who get swept away as they live on the riverbanks and don't notice the river rising suddenly. I doubt anyone's out swimming in the downpour.
tomayamiles at 11:03 AM JST - 22nd July

I lived in Mine City Yamaguchi for 5 years. Pretty much every road close to a mountain had been cemented. The few times I went to Hofu, I remember the mountains there cemented as well.

I always complained about it because the cement becomes very dirty and an eyesore. The biggest problem with that area was how close people build their homes to mountains.

There is quite a lot of vacant land in Yamaguchi. As the population gets older, the rice fields are not being used. Too bad there is not a way to move the people away from the mountains. I am sure that the cost of cementing a mountain vs. moving/ replacing a house shouldn't be that different.
Wakarimasen at 02:50 PM JST - 22nd July

I thought the rainy season was supposed to be over........
Apsara at 09:12 PM JST - 22nd July

I just saw the flooded area on the NHK news- this was definitely not a case where the people swept away went swimming in the rivers- the river was flowing right past the front doors, and in some cases through the houses. Apparently a wall of brown water appeared very suddenly. All the people would have had to do to be swept away was to open their front doors, or be standing on the street at the time, so are definitely not deserving of any scorn.

Very sad to see a man whose wife was swept away saying that he missed her just now on the news.
Foxie at 10:17 PM JST - 22nd July

NHK also reported that the city had been given a warning but that the officials couldn't understand the meaning of it! What were they thinking? It might be a good idea for the future if all cities could work out possible danger zones and distribute the info to residents. At least public servants would be kept a little bit occupied at city halls.
Smythe at 06:28 AM JST - 23rd July

flooding can be pretty bad, but a mud slide is sort of next to a rock/dirt slide in being ghastly. The future seems so dim to those that were lucky to survive.
Jandals at 07:05 AM JST - 23rd July

Evil rain! CONCRETE! CONCRETE! CONCRETE! COVER! COVER! COVER!