Unprecedented 20 inches of rain wipes parts of southwestern Japan off the map, leaving 15 dead, 11 missing
July 12, 2012 – CLIMATE — Arata Yamamoto of NBC News reports — An unprecedented 20 inches of rain descended on the town of Aso in southwestern Japan, inundating homes and rice paddies and killing at least 15 people. 1 people are still reportedly missing. Images on local news reports showed cars being dragged into the raging rivers and houses destroyed by landslides. But by around noon time the rain had stopped, allowing for the clean up efforts to kick in. The local fire department in Aso District said they had managed to rescue 8 people trapped in mudslides. –MSNBC
