Torrential rains rocked some parts of western Japan with three times the usual precipitation of a normal July, triggering landslides and sending rivers across their coasts that had many people in their homes or on rooftops.
"We have never experienced this kind of rain," said an official with the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) at a press conference. "This is a situation of extreme danger."
At least 64 people died and 44 disappeared, the NHK national television station said, after the death toll had exceeded 49 hours. Among those missing was a 9-year-old boy who was imprisoned in his home by an avalanche that left at least three others dead. One of them was a man of about eighty.
"All I have is what I'm wearing," said a rescued woman holding a toy poodle on NHK television.
"We escaped to the second floor, but then the water went higher and we went to the third floor," he said.
The government of Japan established an emergency management center in the Prime Minister's office and about 54,000 soldiers, policemen and firefighters were deployed in much of southwestern and western Japan.
"There are still many missing people and others need help, we are working against the clock," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Heavy rainfall emergency warnings remained in effect for three prefectures, with 300 mm (11 inches) expected on Monday in parts of the smaller Shikoku minor island.
The evacuation orders remained for about 2 million people and the evacuation of another 2.3 million was recommended, even if the rain had stopped and the floods had decreased in some areas. Landslides were launched in more than a quarter of the nation's prefectures.
