Residents Along Mogami River Advised To Remain On The Alert For Flooding
Officials say people living near the Mogami River in Yamagata Prefecture, northern Japan, should remain on the alert for possible floods and landslides until Friday morning. An emergency heavy rain warning for the prefecture has been switched to a warning.
Japan's land ministry and the Meteorological Agency held a joint news conference on Thursday morning following the torrential rain.
The land ministry official explained that major rivers can continue to collect large volumes of water even after rain has stopped falling. He said the water levels of the Mogami River remain high, prompting the continued alert for possible flooding.
The official said the river runs through a landscape alternating between basins and ravines for about 200 kilometers. He pointed out that it takes about a day for the currents to run all the way down.
He added that the water levels downstream have not yet become dangerous, but people should stay on the alert and check for updates as they are likely to keep rising.