NF 6

Residents of Nemuro City, the easternmost point on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, have a close relationship with the sea. Fishing is an important industry for the town, which is known for its salmon, saury, and shellfish, and being located on a long, thin peninsula means at any spot in Nemuro, you’re never far from at least two coastlines.

Unfortunately, this also means Nemuro has more angles from which to be flooded, and huge stretches of it are currently underwater due to rapidly rising tides, as dramatic photos from the city show.

The morning of December 17 saw tides rise past the city’s barricades. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported, but many of Nemuro’s roads and homes have been partially submerged.

▲ “Things are looking bad in Nemuro.”

▲ “Seriously!? It looks like a tsunami!”

To give an idea of just how much water the streets have been inundated with, Twitter user Mocchi shared this comparison between one intersection’s normal conditions, as shown by Google Street View on the left, and its current state.

NF 5

NF 4

One of the most frightening photos was taken along the coast, where the water level has risen high enough that it’s impossible to tell where the shore originally stopped.

“Everyone, get some place safe, quickly!” implored Twitter user Nobuyuki Suzuki, who tweeted the photo. Local authorities and rescue services concur, and have issued evacuation notices for the city’s Nishiyamacho 7, Yayoicho 1, Midoricho 1 and 2, Umegaedacho 1, Horomoshiri, Honioi, Onneto, and Shiomicho 1 and 2 districts.

Source: Breaking News Japan
Top image: Twitter
Insert images: Twitter (2, 3)