Sept. 21 (UPI) -- At least one person is dead and six others are missing in Japan as parts of that country deal with record rainfall and the resulting catastrophic flooding, officials warned on Saturday.
"The rain is the heaviest we have ever experienced," the Japan Meteorological Agency said in its latest update, issued Saturday.
The agency issued its highest-possible alert for areas on the Ishikawa Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu, where flooding has caused cliffs to give way and rivers to overflow.
At one point Saturday morning, forecasters recorded more than 4.7 inches of rain per hour in the city of Wajima. One person was declared dead after their house was overrun by a landslide, while at least two others were buried by mud and declared missing.
Officials also lost contact with four workers in an underground tunnel in Wajima, where 13.8 inches fell over a 24-hour period, representing the heaviest rainfall there since 1976.
"In particular, in areas where flooding is expected, it is highly likely that some kind of disaster has already occurred, and this corresponds to alert level 5," the JPA said in its update. "The danger to life is imminent, so you must immediately ensure your safety. In addition, strict vigilance is required in landslide warning areas."
The agency advised that If evacuating to a designated evacuation site is dangerous, people should shelter in buildings as far away from cliffs or streams as possible, or to a high place that is less likely to be flooded.
"In addition, even in places where disasters are not usually thought to occur, maximum vigilance is required," it cautioned.
Ishikawa Prefecture is still recovering from a massive 7.6 magnitude New Year's Day earthquake that left several people dead and hundreds more homeless. The tunnel workers in Wajima were attempting to repair damage inflicted during the earthquake.
The Japan Ministry of Defense is deploying soldiers to the area to assist.
The area has yet to fully recover, making risks from Saturday's flooding more acute.
"In the future, there is a possibility that more municipalities will issue heavy rain special warnings. It will be too late to evacuate after the special warning is issued," the JPA said in its update.
"In order to protect your own life and the lives of your loved ones, please immediately follow the evacuation information already issued by your local municipality and ensure your safety without waiting for the special warning to be issued."