• 
• 

 
On July 8, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the first meeting of the Emergency Response Headquarters for the Heavy Rain in July 2018 at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“The recent heavy rains continue to cause immense and widespread damage. A total of 48 people have perished due to rivers overflowing or landslides, and 28 people have suffered cardiopulmonary arrests.
 
I pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and I extend my sincere condolences to everyone who has been affected by the disaster.

There are still many people whose whereabouts are not accounted for. There are also those who have been isolated and waiting for rescue while facing the fear of being inundated with water. Rescue, lifesaving and evacuation activities are a race against the clock. A total of 54,000 rescue team members are doing everything they can to rescue the people affected. I ask that all of them continue to exert all of their efforts for rescue and relief operations as well as evacuation guidance, including by flexibly and effectively strengthening the team structure in response to the changing situations.
 
At the same time, many people are spending anxious moments at evacuation centers and elsewhere. I hope that everyone will make full use of the lessons learned from previous disasters and provide push-mode support in close coordination with the affected prefectures and municipalities, including the provision of the supplies that these areas lack, support in the form of the necessary personnel that engage in disaster response work, and support for the early recovery of lifelines. The weather is expected to heat up from tomorrow. I hope that everyone will work thoroughly to manage the conditions in evacuation centers, and to prepare temporary residences, including provisional temporary housing using public housing. Please work to support those affected by the disaster while staying one step ahead.
 
Even now, the climate continues to be unstable, with the designated heavy rain emergency warnings issued for Gifu Prefecture, Ehime Prefecture, and Kochi Prefecture. I ask that the public continue to pay close attention to evacuation and weather information released by each municipality and meteorological station and take measures to ensure safety, including early evacuations.”