Residents of the Noto region, central Japan, continued their cleanup on Saturday as they marked two weeks since torrential rains devastated their homes.
Record-breaking downpours that hit Ishikawa prefecture on September 21 inundated residential areas in the cities of Wajima, Suzu and Noto Town. Flood-ravaged houses are still covered in mud, and volunteers are being called on to help clear the wreckage.
The prefectural government sent about 250 volunteers to the three municipalities on Saturday. This followed the suspension of their dispatch on Thursday and Friday, due to further heavy rain.
About 10 workers were seen removing waterlogged tatami mats from flooded houses, scooping mud into buckets and cleaning floors.
One resident said she felt at a loss when the floods struck, as she had just begun to make progress in clearing damage caused by the massive earthquake on New Year’s Day. She also said the volunteers are very helpful.
A man who joined volunteer operations after the earthquake said it’s tough carrying waterlogged futons and other furniture out of homes as they are heavy. But he said he is glad to be of use in rebuilding local communities.