Japan is DMCAexperiencing what could be one of the worst weather-related disasters in its history, following the heaviest rainfall the country has experienced for decades.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned of a "race against time" to rescue flood victims on Sunday, as emergency response teams in the country's western regions search for at least 60 missing, after floods and landslides caused by torrential rains killed over 100 people.
SEE ALSO: California's wine country fire has been brewing for yearsSince the downpours started Thursday, evacuations had been ordered for up to 5.9 million people in 19 prefectures, according to The Japan Times, but this has been scaled back to 2 million since the weekend. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency is reported to have counted over 30,000 people accommodated in temporary evacuation centres as of Sunday.
Some of the affected areas include Kyoto, Yamaguchi, Ehime, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Hyogo, Shiga, Gifu, Kochi and Saga, with the Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures among the hardest hit.
It's the worst weather-related disaster in the country since 2011, when nearly 100 people were killed by two typhoons in August and September.
The Timesreports over 1,000 people in Okayama found themselves trapped on rooftops after the Oda River burst, with many rescued by helicopter or boat. It's hard to imagine this happening to you, but photographs taken of the affected areas bring these tragic events a little closer to home.
A damaged house in a flood hit area in Kumano, Hiroshima prefecture on July 9. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
Police arrive to clear debris scattered on a street in a flood hit area in Kumano, Hiroshima prefecture. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
Cars trapped in the mud after floods in Saka, Hiroshima prefecture on July 8. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
A man and his wife protect their home from water with sand bags in Saka, Hiroshima prefecture. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
Policemen check a damaged car following heavy rains and flooding in Hiroshima. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
A man walks past a damaged street in Saka, Hiroshima prefecture. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
Residents try to upright a vehicle stuck in a flood hit area in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images 
Residents rescue dogs from flooded area in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
An aerial view of flooded houses in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
A resident walks across scattered debris in a flood hit area in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: AFP/Getty Images 
Aerial view of flooded houses in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
A man stands next to a flooded residential area in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
Residents look at a flooded road and houses in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
People are rescued by volunteers and Ground Self-Defense Force members. Credit: Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images 
Rescuers and soldiers clear debris scattered on a street in a flood hit area in Kumano, Hiroshima prefecture. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
Policemen remove debris during search operations for missing people in a flooded area in Asakura. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
Defence Forces rescue people by boats from Mabi Memorial Hospital that was isolated due to flood damage caused by heavy rain in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 
Flooded rice fields in Mihara. Credit: MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images 
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