2018 Japan floods
Radar animation of the event from 3–8 July nationwide; the animation starts with Typhoon Prapiroon affecting western areas of the country followed by successive rounds of heavy rain along the Meiyu front | |
| Date | 28 June 2018 – 9 July 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Japan, primarily Shikoku and western Honshu |
| Deaths | 225 fatalities, 13 missing |
| Property damage | ¥1.09 trillion (US$9.86 billion) |
In late June through mid-July 2018, successive heavy downpours in southwestern Japan resulted in widespread, devastating floods and mudflows. The event is officially referred to as Heisei san-jū-nen shichi-gatsu gōu (平成30年7月豪雨, "Heavy rain of July, Heisei 30") by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As of 20 July, 225 people were confirmed dead across 15 prefectures with a further 13 people reported missing. More than 8 million people were advised or urged to evacuate across 23 prefectures. It is the deadliest freshwater flood-related disaster in the country since the 1982 Nagasaki flood when 299 people died.
Approximately 54,000 members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, police and firefighters searched for the people trapped or injured in landslides and flooding triggered by the heavy rain, while the Japanese government set up a liaison unit at the crisis management center of the prime minister's office to gather information.