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http://www.weather.com/storms/typhoon/news/tropical-storm-etau-japan-flooding-landslides

Dramatic helicopter rescues unfolded on live television in Japan Thursday as a flood-swollen river breached a levee, sending raging floodwaters into a neighborhood north of Tokyo and leaving dozens of residents trapped on the roofs or upper floors of their homes. At least three people are missing in Japan due to flooding and landslides caused by extreme rainfall resulting from former Tropical Storm Etau.

Rare emergency warnings for heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides were issued for nearly 5 million people in two prefectures near Tokyo Thursday morning as torrential rain continued to inundate parts of Japan, flooding hundreds of homes.

Just after midnight early Thursday (Japan time), the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency warning for heavy rainfall in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, where more than 20 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in some locations. (Japan is 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Daylight Time.)

Shortly before 8 a.m. local time Thursday, JMA added nearly all of Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, to the emergency heavy rainfall warning as the heavy rain band shifted ever so slightly to the east and rivers burst their banks as runoff from rain elsewhere drained into rivers flowing through the prefecture.

As Etau moved north into the Sea of Japan Wednesday, a trailing north-south-oriented band of heavy rain stalled over the Kanto region, including Tokyo. Even though Etau was declared post-tropical late Wednesday evening, the band of rain continued to bring torrential rainfall over Tokyo and points to the north well into the daylight hours Thursday.

The resulting rainfall has been exceptionally heavy. JMA said the rainfall amounts being observed are to be expected roughly once every 50 years in some areas, raising concerns of unusually serious flooding and landslides.

According to the Tochigi Prefecture government, a landslide early Thursday in the city of Kanuma left one person missing and another person injured. Kanuma reported 444 millimeters (17.48 inches) of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. local time Thursday; in records that began in 1976, this was more than double the city’s previous 24-hour record of 212 mm (8.35 inches) set July 11, 2002.

The incident was one of 17 landslides reported by the prefectural government as of midday Thursday. One home each was damaged in two of the landslides, and 11 people were trapped but later rescued in another of the incidents. The government said five people were stranded in Nikkō due to flooding on a local river Wednesday night; firefighters rescued them around daybreak Thursday.

The incident was one of 17 landslides reported by the prefectural government as of midday Thursday. One home each was damaged in two of the landslides, and 11 people were trapped but later rescued in another of the incidents. The government said five people were stranded in Nikkō due to flooding on a local river Wednesday night; firefighters rescued them around daybreak Thursday.

Meanwhile, JMA issued its highest level of flood warning for the Kinugawa River Thursday morning. The river drains southward through the prefectures north of Tokyo. Early Thursday afternoon, the river breached a levee in the city of Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Japan’s Self-Defense Force sent helicopters to the scene, plucking a number of people from rooftops and the top stories of homes near the stricken levee. Japanese television stations broadcast some of the dramatic scenes live as they happened during the early afternoon hours Thursday.

In one disturbing scene, two people were seen struggling to cling to the roof of what appeared to be a garage or shed as the structure began to crumble beneath them and collapse into the raging floodwaters. The television broadcast, streamed live on the website houdoukyoku.jp, quickly cut away from the images to show its in-studio anchors. The fate of the couple is not immediately clear.

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