Multiple missing, over 3 million advised to evacuate after extreme rainfall hits Kyushu, Japan

Multiple missing, over 3 million advised to evacuate after extreme rainfall hits Kyushu, Japan

Reet Kaur

Record August rainfall caused severe flooding and landslides in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on August 10–11, 2025, leaving several people missing and prompting evacuation advisories for over 3 million residents and widespread transport disruptions.

• A stationary low-pressure front dropped more than 370 mm (14.6 inches) of rain in six hours in Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture, breaking local records and exceeding double the average August total.
• As of late August 11 (local time), there were no confirmed fatalities, but multiple people were missing, including residents swept into rivers in Kumamoto and Fukuoka Prefectures and one person buried in a mudslide in Yamato Town.
• Floodwaters and landslides cut off roads, stranded communities, suspended Kyushu Shinkansen and local train services, and left about 6 000 households without power at the peak of the disaster.

A stationary low-pressure front over Kyushu produced record-breaking rainfall in southern Japan between August 10 and 11, 2025, with the heaviest impacts in Kumamoto Prefecture.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported more than 370 mm (14.6 inches) of rain in Tamana City in just six hours, a local record and nearly double the average August total. Some areas in Kumamoto received over 400 mm (15.7 inches) in 24 hours.

The deluge caused rivers to overflow, inundating roads and residential areas, while landslides destroyed homes and blocked access routes.

In Kami-Amakusa, residents and campers were stranded by rising waters. Mudslides buried a house in Yamato Town, leaving one person missing and two others rescued. Several people were swept away in swollen rivers in Kumamoto and neighboring Fukuoka Prefecture.