Japanese authorities issued a Level 5 heavy-rain special warning for five municipalities in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures on Thursday morning [1].
The highest-level warning indicates that conditions have become life-threatening. Because safe evacuation may no longer be possible in some areas, officials are urging residents to seek the safest possible location within their current building rather than attempting to travel.
The Japan Meteorological Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism held a joint press conference at 7:20 a.m. local time to address the crisis [1]. During the briefing, Kazuhito Shimamoto, director of the Water Management and Land Conservation Bureau, said that in regions under the Level 5 warning, safe evacuation is already impossible and lives are at risk [1].
Shimamoto said residents should not move recklessly and should instead secure their safety in a place safer than where they currently are [1]. A spokesperson for the Japan Meteorological Agency said that the danger to life is imminent [1].
The weather system has produced record-breaking rainfall across the affected areas [1]. In Hakui City, Ishikawa, officials recorded 304 mm of rain over a 12-hour period [1]. Himi City in Toyama Prefecture saw 205.5 mm [1], while Hodatsushimizu Town in Ishikawa recorded 299.5 mm [1].
These totals represent the highest rainfall ever recorded for each of those specific locations [1]. The warning covers Hakui City, Shiga Town, Hodatsushimizu Town, and Nakanoto Town in Ishikawa, as well as Himi City in Toyama [1].
“"Lives are in immediate danger."”
A Level 5 warning is the most severe alert in Japan's disaster management system. Unlike lower-level warnings that trigger evacuations to shelters, a Level 5 alert often signifies that the window for safe movement has closed. By instructing residents to avoid reckless movement, authorities are attempting to prevent casualties caused by flash floods or landslides that occur during the act of evacuating.
