Michiya IRASAWA, Daisuke HIGAKI, Hideyuki ITOU, Junichi KANBARA, Satoshi NIWA, Kazuhiko HORI, Tatsuo SUZUKI, Shinichi YAMASHINA and Syouji MISHIMA
Abstract
Due to record]level rainfalls in the Tohoku region in late July and on August 9th of 2013, landslides have occurred in Yamagata, Akita, and Iwate prefectures. Slope failures and debris flows have occurred intensively in these areas, becoming a tremendous calamity. From the torrential downpours, many areas throughout Tohoku recorded unprecedented rainfall levels. In particular, six people were tragically killed in the Kuyobutsu area of Semboku City (Akita Prefecture), when several homes were buried in a mudslide. Because there had been little rainfall in the Tohoku region up to this point, and because the region's rivers are narrow, there were many areas in which the damage was made even more extensive. In addition, many trees were swept up in the floodwaters, further compounding the damage to many areas.
Key wordsFslope failure, debris flow, extreme torrential rainfall, field investigation