JOSO, Japan — Raging floodwaters broke through an embankment Thursday and swamped a city near Tokyo, washing away houses, forcing dozens of people to rooftops to await helicopter rescues and leaving one man clinging for his life to a utility pole.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, but rescue officials said they were overwhelmed by pleas for help. More than 30,000 were ordered to flee their homes, and hundreds more were stranded by the water. As of late Thursday, more than 3,500 people were staying in evacuation centers.
As heavy rain pummeled Japan for a second straight day, the Kinugawa River broke through a flood berm, sending water gushing into the eastern half of Joso, a city of 60,000 people about 30 miles northeast of Tokyo.
Aerial videos showed a wide swath of cityscape underwater, more than one story deep in some places. The rains arrived on the heels of Tropical Storm Etau, which caused flooding and landslides elsewhere Wednesday as it crossed central Japan.
Yuko Kawamoto, 58, said she decided to leave her home with her 80-year-old mother after watching TV images of the water pouring out of the embankment. “It almost looked like a tsunami,” she said.
She said the muddy water was ankle-deep when they left their house, carrying duffel bags and an umbrella each, and was almost up to their hips when they reached the evacuation center.
Japanese broadcasters showed live video of rescuers being lowered from helicopters and clambering onto second-floor balconies to reach stranded residents.
In one dramatic scene, a rescuer descended four times from a military helicopter over 20 minutes to lift up four people one by one as a deluge of water swept around their home.
Nearby, a man clung to a utility pole as the waters rose. He was taken up by a rescue worker who had to be lowered into the rushing water so he could make his way over to the man.
