Torrential Rains and Continuing Earthquake Recovery on Japan’s Noto Peninsula
Torrential rains in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture forced more than 2,000 Noto Peninsula residents to evacuate last week. Many have already lost their homes and are living in temporary housing after the devastating earthquake that struck the area on New Year’s Day 2024. There is a higher risk of mudslides and other damage where earthquake damage has weakened the ground; the latest rain-related scare comes nearly one year after flooding and mudslides further devastated earthquake-affected areas of Noto last year, setting back recovery.
Members of Peace Winds’ ARROWS disaster response team are working alongside local officials to help residents evacuate, set up evacuation centers, conduct wellness checks, and distribute bottled water and other emergency supplies. They will continue to conduct needs assessments and monitor the situation as it progresses.
Meanwhile, the Peace Winds team continues to lead earthquake recovery programs in and around Suzu City. Recovery is progressing slowly but surely; demolition and cleanup of earthquake-damaged and destroyed buildings continues, and the majority of evacuees have now moved into temporary housing units. As they make the transition, Peace Winds is helping them settle in by providing sets of basic home appliances and other home goods.
Despite setbacks, spirits have been high among residents celebrating summer festivities. At Noto’s Tanabata summer festival, the mayor remarked that he was moved to see so many people there who had previously left Noto after the earthquake.
Peace Winds also holds regular community events for seniors and children, and this week, the team hosted opening events for a new Children’s Plaza. One staff member who attended said that kids and adults alike were smiling at the colorful displays, circus performances, and overall joyful atmosphere of the new space.
Not only do events like these build community connections; several health clinics in Noto were impacted by the earthquake, so Peace Winds uses events as an engaging way to make health education and consultations more accessible. Nurses and other health experts attend gatherings like tea hours, kayaking excursions, and exercise classes where they also lead discussions on various health topics and offer basic wellness checks.
Additionally, Peace Winds nurses and other staff continue to visit residents in their homes, many of whom are elderly, to conduct wellness checks and help them with various tasks. This includes household chores, grocery and medication delivery, and basic home repairs for those who moved back into their damaged homes.
New donations to Peace Winds’ disaster response efforts in Japan will help the Noto community continue to rebuild.
