Temporary heavy rain special warning for Fukuoka and Oita. 6 people in Kurume could not be contacted.

Heavy rains fell intermittently over northern Kyushu and the Chugoku region on January 10 as rain clouds developed over a stagnant rainy season front. A linear precipitation zone developed in Fukuoka, Saga, and Oita prefectures, causing rivers to overflow one after another. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special heavy rainfall warning for Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. One person was killed in Soeda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, and six people were unaccounted for in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, as sediment poured into their homes.

According to the local fire department in Fukuoka Prefecture, at around 3:40 a.m. on January 10, a 119 caller reported that an elderly couple was trapped in a house in Soeda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, after earth and sand poured into the house. The man and woman were found, and the woman was confirmed dead.

Another landslide occurred in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture. According to the city government, a total of 20 people were caught in the mudslide that washed into several houses in Tanushimaru-cho. Fourteen of the victims were rescued, but six have not been contacted. It is believed that a hill behind the house collapsed, and firefighters are currently working to rescue the victims.

In Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, at around 6:15 a.m. on January 10, a 119 operator responded to a report of a "mountain collapse" in Hirabara, Hamadama-cho, Karatsu City. Two houses were flooded with earth and sand, and two men and a woman could not be reached. One woman was found in the afternoon of the same day, but she did not respond to the call.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, heavy rain is expected to continue through the 11th, mainly over the Sea of Japan side of western to eastern Japan. The agency called for precautions against landslides, flooding of low-lying areas, and rising and overflowing rivers. The agency also warned of thunderstorms and tornadoes due to extremely unstable atmospheric conditions.

This is the first time this year that a special heavy rainfall warning has been issued. Satoru Sugimoto, head of the Meteorological Agency's forecasting division, told a press conference on the morning of January 10, "There is an extremely high possibility that a disaster has already occurred, and we must immediately ensure our own safety.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism issued a "Flooding Information" for rivers flowing through Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Several rivers flooded, including the Koishiwara River in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the Yamakuni River in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture.

The Japan Water Agency announced on April 10 that it had begun "emergency releases" at the Terauchi Dam on the Chikugo River system in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The amount of water to be released is the same as the amount of water flowing into the dam because the dam was unable to store enough water due to heavy rain. The amount of water flowing downstream will increase, so local governments were asked to pay attention to evacuation information.

According to JR West, the Sanyo Shinkansen temporarily suspended operation of some trains on the upper and lower lines between Hakata and Shin-Osaka Stations on the morning of October 10 due to heavy rainfall in Fukuoka Prefecture. Kyushu Shinkansen trains were also temporarily suspended on some sections.

On January 10, the Fukuoka City Board of Education announced that all 228 city schools would be temporarily closed to ensure the safety of children due to the heavy rain.

Heavy rain continued on the 9th, mainly in the northern Kyushu and Chugoku regions, and on the evening of the 9th, a 110 caller reported that a person had been swept away in the Tonda River in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the water had swollen. Police and firefighters are searching the area. In Shimonoseki City, also in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the Inamitsu River broke its banks and water is reportedly flowing out into surrounding farmland.

Soeda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, recorded 418 millimeters of precipitation in the 24-hour period ending at 9:10 a.m. on January 10, the most in recorded history. It reached 391 mm in Kurume City in the same prefecture, 303 mm in Tosu City in Saga Prefecture, and 280 mm in Nakatsu City in Oita Prefecture.

The rainfall forecast for the 24-hour period ending at 6:00 a.m. on January 11 is 200 mm in northern Kyushu (including Yamaguchi Prefecture), 100 mm in Chugoku, and 80 mm in Tokai, Hokuriku, and Tohoku. Rainfall for the next 24 hours until 6:00 a.m. on January 12 is estimated to be 50 to 100 mm in Tohoku and Hokuriku, and approximately 50 mm in Tokai, Chugoku, and northern Kyushu.