Torrential rain in Japan floods quake-stricken Noto region

TOKYO (Reuters) – Record rainfall on Saturday hit central Japan’s Noto region, which was devastated by a major earthquake in January, prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents and causing a power outage for more than 5,000 households.

In Wajima city, two people were missing, and calls for rescue were swamping the local fire department, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Hourly rainfall came to a record 121mm (4.8 inches) on Saturday morning in Wajima, while neighbouring Suzu saw 84.5mm in an hour, also an all-time high.

TV footage showed brown floodwater turning streets into rivers in Wajima, with cars half submerged.

Suzu, Wajima and surrounding areas are still recovering from a 7.6 magnitude quake that struck the region on Jan. 1 and killed more than 300 people.